Participation is voluntary. Privacy matters.
No homeowner, renter, or landlord is required to participate. Public results will describe the building type, starting conditions, improvement, cost, and measured outcome without identifying individual homes or sharing private household information.
The neighborhood is our lab.
Central Oak Park gives us something a laboratory never could: real homes, real weather, real utility bills, and real people trying to make everyday life work. Instead of guessing what might help, Breezeway works with willing neighbors to test practical products and small improvements that are available now. We learn what works in St. Petersburg’s heat, humidity, rain, housing stock, and household budgets—and what does not.
How the lab works
1 — LEARN
Choose one useful question. Recruit willing homes that give us a fair comparison. Document where we are starting.
2 — TRY
Install the improvement safely and legally. Use appropriate permits, licensed professionals, insurance, and code requirements.
3 — MEASURE
Compare before-and-after performance, comfort, maintenance, and cost. Accept the results, including surprises and failures.
4 — SHARE
Turn what we learn into plain-language information that neighbors, funders, manufacturers, utilities, and public agencies can use.
Small tests. Useful answers.
The question might involve cooling, insulation, shade, solar energy, hot water, rainwater, landscaping, maintenance, accessibility, or another part of affordable living. The goal is not to sell one product or prove every idea right. The goal is to find combinations that lower the total cost of living and maintaining a home.
One test should help more than one household.
Breezeway connects the projects by sharing plants, tools, mentors, data, skills, and lessons. What we learn in one home can improve the next test, strengthen a future demonstration, help a neighbor avoid an expensive mistake, and give partners better evidence for where to invest.