the ramada and the plaza

The gathering point at Tres Placitas is the ramada on our plaza.




Located in the center of our land, with a spectacular view, this site is used for meetings, potluck dinners, parties, and just hanging out. It is a great place to relax and meet informally. Currently there is no common house at Tres Placitas and this area serves as a place for the community to come together.

The ramada and plaza were built by our members over a period of 5 years (and continues to be developed).

house details

Houses at Tres Placitias Del Rio are built in architectural styles representing the taste and inclination of individual members. Traditional and modern homes sit side by side comfortably. Many residents when designing their homes relied on Pattern Language, a theory put into practice by Christopher Alexander.

flowers and trees

the vegetable garden

The vegetable garden sits on the lowest point of land on our compound. It is the heart of Tres Placitas Del Rio. This organic garden nourishes us and enhances our landscape. We are fortunate to have two professional horticulturists living in our community. They are passionate and innovative. One of our master gardeners works for Seeds of Change and the orientation of that progressive company is reflected in our garden.

goats and chickens

We keep goats (3) for the milk and chickens (lots) for the eggs; they live down by the garden in a community built strawbale barn and outdoor yards. Our goat co-op includes quite a few folks from our community as well as others from “off-campus”.

the annual community retreat

Once a year we spend a weekend at Cook's Cabin in Southern Colorado (near Pagosa Springs and the South San Juan Wilderness). There have been six retreats to date; it has become a ritual for the community to come together for a weekend in the fall away from home. We spend the weekend cooking, eating, playing, hanging out, hiking, fishing and exploring together. Some favorite activities include eating (previously mentioned), bocce, disc golf, soaking in the hot tub, hiking, painting, playing music, reading, and lots of talking! It's a great opportunity for us to come together to solely have fun and get to know each other more deeply.