RESILIENT NET ZERO COMMUNITY PLANNING FEASIBILITY

GOALS

A truly sustainable community where every part is integrated in the whole system with a NET ZERO energy & restoration of site ecologies. Mixed uses for all needs of a small community as well as varieties of housing types for all ages and pocket books.

SENSE of PLACE

Provide a variety of massing, building types & plants & use topographies to create individual neighborhoods with their own identity & sense of place. Traffic & parking are kept at the perimeter for an enjoyable safe park at the center.

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HOUSING TYPES

263 units of housing satisfy every need from small apartments in an elevator building, family apartments, townhouses with 1 or 2 families, to individual houses & terrace houses with one or two families to gentlemen’s farms.

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ENERGY

Buildings with highly efficient envelopes and HVAC systems are configured to optimize their solar exposure and to balance visibility with privacy. Electricity is generated on site with both existing windmills and new PV panels. The adjacent railroad station provides energy efficient public transportation.

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WATER

Storm water is managed with water features, lakes streams, wetlands & fountains/small waterfalls. Grey water is processed in the greenhouses with fish farms & food production. Composting toilets take care of black water.

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PERMACULTURE

Food production on the site is possible at various scale: at the individual house in planters, in neighborhood community gardens, at small farms & a commercial garden area associated with the food store. Organic farming, recycled water & composting from the site minimize resources required.

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A COMPLETE COMMUNITY

A variety of functions will serve the community with close to 50,000 SF of commercial space. Near the train station mixed use buildings, housing & commercial functions are placed around a new lake.  A farmers’ market can become a future retail street with small individual buildings for stores and small businesses. These commercial uses provide an opportunity to live & work on this site.