Eco-communities have a diversity problem. While some (Los Angeles Eco-Village, USA; LILAC, Leeds) are well positioned and structured to attract diverse residents, many (EcoVillage at Ithaca, USA; Findhorn, Scotland; Hockerton, England; Lancaster, England, to name just a few) struggle to reach beyond the white upper-middle class cohort. Los Angeles EcoVillage, USA Keen to ensure that … Continue reading Class and identity matters more than affordability in encouraging diversity in eco-communities
Building more affordable eco-housing worldwide
[Versión en español abajo] Eco-housing is often assumed to cost more to build than conventional housing. The main way in which eco-construction costs are reduced is through self-build, but this does not help most people. Instead there is a need to reconceive the costs of eco-building and develop more radical alternatives for building low cost … Continue reading Building more affordable eco-housing worldwide
Building Collectively Is Greener, Easier, and Cheaper
Building a house is hard work. A decade ago my mum and I built an eco-house together. We loved it – the freedom of designing what spaces we wanted, the excitement of choosing only materials we wanted to use, and most of all the pure joy of moving in to the finished house. I have … Continue reading Building Collectively Is Greener, Easier, and Cheaper
Earthship Biotecture, near Taos, New Mexico, USA
Standing on top of an Earthship in the New Mexico desert watching the sunset turn the mountains a deep red, makes you realise how boring conventional housing is. Earthships are a highly inventive and unusual house design by Mike Reynolds who spent years experimenting in the New Mexico deserts. There are now hundreds of examples … Continue reading Earthship Biotecture, near Taos, New Mexico, USA
Columbia Eco-village, Portland, Oregon
Columbia eco-village is a relatively new co-housing project in the north east of Portland. It is on the site of an old nut farm which was partly sold to developers in the 1960s who built five apartment buildings. These buildings and the remainder of the farm and farmhouse now constitute the eco-village. Using a loan … Continue reading Columbia Eco-village, Portland, Oregon
ECO-HOMES + COMMUNITIES 