A Network Where Ideas Become Real

Nathan Wieler has rethought the links between ideas and the resources that make them real.

He’s no stranger to cutting-edge concepts for 21st century living. In 1999, he developed Zoom Culture, a precursor to YouTube. In 2005, when he built the Original Dwell Home in Chatham County, N.C., The Washington Post christened it “the most high-profile modern prefab house in America.”

These days, he busies himself by developing Greenbelt modernist homes in partnership with Rapson Architects, as well as marketing birdhouses with a mid-century modern bent. Both endeavors can be found on his web site, www.wieler.com.

It’s www.originalprojects.com, though, that really gets him going at this particular moment. “Everyone’s got good ideas, but there just aren’t that many places to go with them for the needed resources,” he said. “This is a place to take fresh ideas and get them done.”

A few months ago, he set up a preview of the site, with plans to take it to a larger audience by January’s end.

That means that someone with a big idea – either business or non-business – can log on to the site and immediately share the concept – collaborating with those who might help bring it to life. In February, he’ll set up a store, so that all or part of a prototype or project might be sold or pre-sold.

“I’m creating a community to help others share and cultivate their original projects,” Wieler said. “It’s a place where people connect with one another, not based on who they are, but what they do and aspire to do. It’s about connecting with resources and collaborating with others, to realize dreams and ideas.”

In other words, it’s about giving social networkers a sophisticated set of tools to achieve tangible goals.

Visit it at www.originalprojects.com