The Cultural Aspect of EcoVillages

Hi again!

This week I will be returning to the four pillars of Ecovillages to talk about the cultural aspect—of which there are two dimensions in cohousing communities: external and internal. Looking outward, cohousing models a more participatory and rewarding culture, which could help to transform the culture of society in general. Internally, creating homegrown special traditions, rituals, and celebrations together enhance the quality of life for the village's own community members.

In her book titled "Creating a Life Together," Diana Leafe Christian makes the case that a communitarian lifestyle can be a remedy for the spiritual impoverishment many feel they are experiencing in our isolation-prone society. Residents generate a unique “culture” through sharing common facilities, coordinating joint activities, and attending to self-governance. It manifests in all kinds of rewarding (and fun!) ways: interest clubs, music groups, art lessons, sing-a-longs, study groups, craft nights, maybe a theater troupe!

Members at Tierra Nueva Cohousing in Oceano, California sharing a meal in the Common House.

Cohousing members at Heartwood Cohousing sitting around the campfire at their annual camping trip!

Having such a base of cultural enrichment and emotional support enables cohousers to actualize shared values and increase the impact of their efforts — whether it be green living, caring for neighbors, or making a contribution to the broader society.

For the next blog post I will be writing about the fourth pillar — the economic aspect. Meanwhile, here is a great TedTalk about cohousing!

Introduction to SITES Rating System

Hi! Continuing with the theme of Ecology ... this week I am introducing the SITES v2 rating system, a tool Altair will use in designing the site plan.

SITES v2 is a rating system and certification program for sustainable land design and development created by Green Business Certification Inc. SITES complements the LEED Building Rating System for building design, construction, operations, and performance. SITES defines sustainable sites, measures their performance, and increases the value of landscapes.

“The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) was created in response to an immediate need to shift our current development mindset to define and measure the performance of healthy ecological systems. By altering our current development path to be more compatible with these natural systems, we can increase the capability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

— http://www.sustainablesites.org/get-started-sites-v2-rating-system

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There are 10 SITES Building Principles:

1. Do no harm. Make no changes to the site that will degrade the surrounding environment.

2. Apply the precautionary principle. Be cautious in making decisions that could damage human/environmental health, examine alternatives and be open to contributions from all affected parties.

3. Design with nature and culture. Create designs responsive to economic, environmental, and cultural conditions to the local, regional, and global context.

4. Use a decision-making hierarchy of preservation, conservation, and regeneration. Maximize benefit of ecosystem services by preserving existing environmental features, conserving resources sustainably, and regenerating lost/damaged ecosystem services.

5. Provide regenerative systems as intergenerational equity. Provide future generations with a sustainable environment with regenerative systems and resources.

6. Support a living process. Continuously reevaluate assumptions and values. Adapt to demographic/environmental change.

7. Use a systems thinking approach. Understand/value relationships in an ecosystem. Use an approach that reflects and sustains ecosystem services. Use an approach that reestablishes the integral and essential relationship between natural processes and human activity.

8. Use a collaborative and ethical approach. Encourage direct and open communication among colleagues, clients, manufacturers and users to link long-term sustainability with ethical responsibility.

9. Maintain integrity in leadership and research. Implement transparent and participatory leadership; develop research with technical rigor; and communicate new findings in a clear, consistent, and timely manner.

10. Foster environmental stewardship. In all aspects of land development and management, foster an ethic of environmental stewardship—an understanding that responsible management of healthy ecosystems improves the quality of life for present and future generations.

All of these principles work together to assess a site’s sustainability. SITES aims to provide "a systematic, comprehensive set of guidelines to model development practices after healthy systems and processes." Check out the Sites Scorecard.

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Cohousing community in Beaverton, Oregon

Chester County's soon-to-be-adopted Climate Action Plan promotes sustainable energy and energy efficiency, both by recommending green building standards that include energy efficient standards, and by encouraging low impact developments in growth areas.

East Pikeland Township’s exploration into Low-Impact Development is a great example of how this recommendation could be implemented.

–Rachael Griffith, Professional Planner, Professional Landscape Architect

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SMART GROWTH

Pioneer Valley Cohousing in North Amherst, MA, shows clustered homes, pedestrian walkways, a common house, green, gardens, office facilities, remote parking, and more than 50 percent of open space.

By contrast . . .

A Typical Suburban car-oriented Development

If you are interested in learning more about the Sustainable SITES Initiative, check out these free courses on their website!

The Ecological Aspect of Cohousing

Hi everyone!

This week we are focusing on another one of the four pillars of sustainability within EcoVillages: the ecological aspect.

Members of an EcoVillage using the cohousing model pay attention to both their individual and their joint ecological footprints. There are a variety of initiatives they take on to reduce their environmental impact. One big step is sharing resources. This can include sharing the amenities in the Common House, sharing cars, and “sharing space” via clustered homes, etc. Another way EcoVillages strive for green living is by designing the buildings to consume less energy and to generate renewable energy on-site. Altair will be following the Passive House model for their buildings to optimize solar power and reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling. The Township’s Low Impact Development Ordinance states that the buildings will obtain a minimum of 50% of their energy from renewable sources, but it will actually be much more than that. 

The community garden at Island Cohousing in Vineyard Haven, MA. Read all about their garden here.

There are countless other ways to promote a lifestyle that is less impactful on the environment. Many EcoVillages have a community garden where members can spend time together growing some of their food for the community in a sustainable way. Daily practices of composting and recycling to reduce waste and reuse as many resources as possible are encouraged.

Pictured here is a solar array on the roof of one of the Common Houses at Ithaca Ecovillage.

Living more lightly is a large part of life in an EcoVillage. Consuming less and reducing the overall ecological footprint are important values. Watch this great video featuring Altair’s chosen housing model—Passive House!

The Social Aspect of Cohousing

Welcome back everyone!

As I laid out in the previous blog post "So, what is an EcoVillage?”, there are four pillars of sustainability within EcoVillages: social, ecological, cultural, and economic. This week we are going to focus on the social aspect. It is not a “sustainable” community without the social component. In addition, it is essential to cohousing because so many of the cohousing principles rely on a “community feel.” (You can read more about the cohousing principles here.)

Ithaca EcoVillage sharing a common meal.

Surprisingly enough, many cohousing residents are introverts. While cohousing has a big social component, there is also privacy. Cohousing offers a great balance between social interaction and privacy. There are common spaces like walking paths and the Common House, but there is privacy within your own home. There are many common meals, tons of celebrations, and social events.

Another cohousing principle says “the design of the community promotes social interaction.” There are many different ways this is achieved—for instance creating a pedestrian-oriented community (not car-oriented), resident-maintained common areas (such as gardens, walkways, and the Common House), and spacing front doors 35-40 feet apart so you see your neighbors.

Great Oak Cohousing in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Altair works to establish a community atmosphere now, before the project is even built. For instance, the Hospitality Committee has created teams to develop social events once a month. Prospective members are assigned to a team when they sign up—which helps them get to know Altair’s members.

Check out how Takoma Village (bordering Washington, D.C.) celebrates and shares meals together.

The Common House: an Integral Part of the Community

Welcome back everyone! In this week’s post let’s discuss the Common House.

One thing that sets apart cohousing from so many other housing models is the Common House! In cohousing, the Common House is the heart of the community. Members hold a design retreat with the architect and other professionals. They determine their plan, then the architect puts it into three dimensions! The Common House is also member maintained. Members hold meetings, cook and share some meals, or play games and music. The Common House is designed to be a versatile space—it is the “living room” of the community!

Pioneer Valley Cohousing’s common house located in Amherst, MA.

Altair’s Common House may include a dining room, commercial grade kitchen, mail room, guest rooms, media rooms, lounge, conference spaces, a shared work space, children’s playroom, recreational studios, laundry room, and storage area. There may be an observatory with a telescope or a community mural on the outside of the building. The possibilities are endless! The Common House will generate a significant percentage of its energy from renewable energy sources on-site.

La Querencia’s Common House in Fresno, CA

The Common House is an essential part of a cohousing community where members can come together in a common area. While many Common Houses share elements (such as a kitchen) they vary depending on what the members need in their community and what their interests are. Members can live in down-sized homes because the Common House has so many resources! Check out this interesting video showing Touchstone Cohousing’s Common House being built in a time-lapse! 

What is Cohousing?

Hi everyone!
In this week’s post blog, let’s talk about Cohousing!

Cohousing is a unique style of living where members design a neighborhood with a “community feel.” Originated in Denmark in the 1970s, Cohousing solved a problem of people feeling isolated. They wanted to develop a living model that created the same village-like atmosphere they had grown up in. 

Westwood Cohousing Community in Asheville, North Carolina

Cohousing has six basic principles:

1. Residents organize to plan their community. Future residents help design the community so it fits their needs.

2. The design promotes community interaction. The site plan and overall layout is designed to encourage social interaction.

3. Each family owns their own home, supplemented by extensive common facilities. The inclusion of common facilities helps to develop a strong sense of community, while also ensuring families have their own private spaces.

4. The residents manage the community. Residents do most of the work and maintenance within the community.

5. The residents operate using a non-hierarchical structure. While some members may naturally step into more leadership type roles, no members hold authority over others. Decisions are made by consensus to make sure every member is heard.

6. Residents have their own income sources. Members do not make income from the community.

Built on these principles, different varieties of Cohousing villages have been created and continue to be formed! They range in total number of homes, amount of land to maintain, and whether they are suburban, urban, or rural, among many other variables.

A satellite image of Shadowlake Village in Blacksburg, Virginia

Cohousing relies heavily on shared resources (such as shared gardens, guest rooms, storage, cars, and the iconic common house), and are often very environmentally-conscious villages. By sharing resources, there is a smaller footprint for each member. As Cohousing.org puts it, “Cohousing is community intentionally designed with ample common spaces surrounded by private homes.” These common spaces can include anything relevant to the community, but typically include things such as recreational areas, walkways or trails, gardens, parking, and of course, the common house!

Personally, the common house is one of the aspects of Cohousing I think is the most exciting. Stand by for next week’s post, where I will explain the common house and what about it I find so fascinating! In the meantime, check out this great video showing what Cohousing villages are like and how they operate! 

So, what is an EcoVillage?

Hi again!
This week’s topic is: “So, what is an ecovillage?”

When I first started attending some of Altair’s meetings, I had no idea! I started to look into the concept and do some research. I quickly learned there are many types.

Broadly speaking, the goal of an EcoVillage is to live more sustainably. The term "sustainability" is used to indicate programs, initiatives, and actions aimed at the preservation of a particular resource. However, it actually refers to four distinct areas: social, ecological, cultural, and economic – known as the four pillars of sustainability. All four are present in an ecovillage.

Beyond that: Some ecovillages are spiritual, some focus on farming, some seek to improve the quality of life in an urban neighborhood. Many have a population of around 50-250 individuals, but there are no definite population guidelines; some are smaller and some are larger. You can learn more about ecovillages here.

An aerial view of the Dancing Rabbit EcoVillage in Missouri (they grow most of their food here on 280 acres!)

Altair plans to have around 30 homes with 60-70 individuals. To achieve living more sustainably, Altair has an extensive list of ideas, including following the Passive House model (which you can read about here), resource sharing (including electric cars), energy conservation, solar hot water, solar photovoltaic arrays for electricity, using recycled materials for construction, and more! Its vision and values are detailed here.

An example of Ecovillage housing in Ithaca.

One of the ways Altair will be living more sustainably is by following the Cohousing model. Next week’s blog post will be discussing the Cohousing concept. Stay tuned!

Resilience Reports by Phoenixville Area Transition

Featuring the latest from PAT: Click HERE. Imagine Phoenixville as a Connected Community.

Introducing our new blog: Altair EcoVillage in Kimberton!

Hello all! In this first blog post, I would like to introduce myself and the intention for this new series. Let me start by telling you all a little about me. My name is Madison Chambers and I am a junior at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. I am an English writing major with a German minor. I hope to get my teaching certification to teach English and German and eventually switch to full-time nonprofit work. I love traveling, swimming in the ocean, and dogs (I have three!) I live about an hour from the Altair EcoVillage site, all the way down near the Pennsylvania-Maryland line. I first learned about Altair when researching other organizations in Kimberton, and am super excited to work with Altair and write for them!

An example of an Ecovillage and Cohousing community.

Altair is one example of an EcoVillage. EcoVillagers strive to live sustainably, both economically and ecologically. I will go into detail explaining the concept of an EcoVillage in next week’s blog post.

In addition to following the EcoVillage model, Altair uses Cohousing as their model for housing. The Cohousing model is designed to create a sense of community, like a neighborhood or village. I will also be explaining the Cohousing model in depth in another blog post!

Through this blog, I hope to share the benefits of living in an EcoVillage and the Cohousing model, what makes Altair special, and address some of the concerns that come up during the process of creating the community. I hope to write a new post each week. I want to welcome comments and would love to hear any recommendations. There is a comment section at the bottom of the blog! With the help of some of Altair’s members, I hope to publish the entries at the end of the semester in print. Finally, I would like to thank Altair for giving me this platform to write, and thank the team for their endless help throughout this process. I can’t wait to start this adventure!

COHOUSING OFFERS COMMUNITY AND A DIFFERENT WAY TO LIVE

We wanted to share with you an article by Bridget Newsham, published  in Strong Towns, 4/18: 

https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/4/18/cohousing-offers-a-different-way-to-live

Nashville 2017 - Nat'l Cohousing Conference

Altair Members & Friends on the road!

Healthy Green Living Policy

Healthy Green Living

An Altair EcoVillage value
POLICY

“Clean Environment” is a core value of Altair EcoVillage: We hope to create an environment that is free from toxic chemicals, limits the use of fragrances, minimizes particulates, and reduces electromagnetic and radio fields.

1. Clean Cluster: We propose that one of our town house/duplex clusters be built specifically for those with multiple chemical and/or EMF sensitivities. Through building with Passive House design, we control the air quality and humidity, eliminate mold, and encapsulate any and all toxic materials contained in the construction materials. By using prefabricated panels and controlling the construction, we minimize site particulates and the emission of toxins during the building process. In addition to Passive House design, we will provide shielded electrical cables, shielded meters, and hard-wired electronic devices, mechanical/electrical systems, and appliances free of wireless transmissions. For a small premium, residents can choose this option.

2. Clean Common House: For our “community living room,” residents will agree to minimize the use of toxic cleaning products, the use of fragrances for personal use or in public spaces, and minimize the toxicity of all construction products, furniture, and furnishings. We intend to utilize Passive House design in the Common House as well as much as practicable. Through the consensus process, members will be open to the needs of the chemically-sensitive members in making all decisions.

3. Clean Site: The community has agreed not to use fossil fuels, toxic chemicals for vegetation maintenance, toxic chemicals for insect treatments, and the burning of trash, leaves, etc. Again, the residents will be responsive to the needs of those who are chemically and EMF-sensitive in selecting lighting systems, methods of landscaping, and site activities which potentially produce particulates.

4. Private Homes for chemically or EMF sensitive: We intend to use Passive House design for a healthy environment for all homes. It is up to each individual family to choose their life style and the products and furnishings they use, but it is our intention to educate them regarding the benefits derived by limiting toxins, EMF’s, fragrances and particulates.

5. The Neighbors: It is our vision to become a model of “healthy living” for the larger community, and to that end, we intend to promote our values and extend to our adjoining neighbors what we have learned about the dangers of toxic chemicals, EMF’s, fragrances, and particulates and encourage them to follow our lead.

Adopted Nov 7, 2016