Habitat Re•Imagined

Sustainable Community

It’s Been a Busy Year

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After more than six months since breaking ground, the model house at Echo Hills Cottages is in the finishing stages. Fighting the weather, we completed the foundation by early spring and have since moved forward with relative smooth sailing. We have now slowed down the finish work, and are starting to show the house to folks who have indicated interest in the project. We are also shifting our primary attention to work on the many aspects of infrastructure and community development that we need in place prior to selling. Let us know if you would like a preview.

Here are some features:

  • DSC03840_21360 Sq. Ft. open floor plan
  • Creative design with custom options
  • R25 ICF foundation (insulated concrete forms)
  • R27 SIP walls (structural insulated panels)
  • Low E and low infiltration vinyl windows
  • Stucco exterior and metal roof
  • Custom green built cabinets
  • European energy efficient appliances
  • Mini split heating and coolingDSC03861
  • Tankless water heater
  • Bamboo flooring in living area
  • Large tile shower
  • Private rear deck
  • Non toxic paints and materials
  • Earth tone colors
  • Green Built “gold’ certified
  • Net Zero Energy Ready

Here are some highlights of the various phases of construction:

DSC03395 DSC03432 DSC03547 DSC03540 DSC03574 DSC03596 DSC03715 DSC03766

 

 

Breaking Ground at Echo Hills Cottages

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After being hung up in permitting for several months, we got the green light around the beginning of the year and broke ground on the first house in our pocket neighborhood in Asheville. Although January isn’t an ideal time of the year for starting new construction, we were able to work between frost and rain to get the footings in. It’s slow moving but our excitement is mounting and we are ready to start construction of the ICF (insulated concrete forms) foundation.

A3ModelHome_frontviewThe front of this model home faces a wooded courtyard which will be surrounded by four additional cottages. The rear view overlooks  a natural area which will be preserved for a park like community area.

A3ModelHome_firstfloorThe cottage is 800 sq. ft. on the first floor with a living/kitchen/dining area, along with a master suite. The bathroom is accessed from the living area as well as the bedroom. A3ModelHome_lowerlevelThe lower level is just over 500 sq.ft and is designed for flexible use. This level will be customized for individual needs to serve as additional family bedrooms, a studio or workshop, or a rental suite.

We are enjoying the movement of creative juices and imagining who might be our neighbor. If this sounds like home, let us know.

The Collaborative Culture at Echo Hills Cottages

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I recently put together a document related to the culture we intend to nurture in the intentional neighborhood of Echo Hills Cottages. I thought I would share it here and would love to hear your response.

Introduction:

Echo Hills Cottages is an “intentional” pocket neighborhood of small green built homes. We support trusting and respectful relationships, along with open communication, for meaningful interpersonal connection and a collaborative governance.

Rather than an ideal definition of community, we believe that true community is the collaborative result of our collective intention. We encourage the following key principles as a foundation to establish that intention and to nurture a culture of collaboration. For more information about these principles and the tools for facilitation, please see A CoCreative Path

Intention:

Clear personal intention is a prerequisite for effective collaboration and is established through mindful awareness. This requires the attitude of an observer to explore beliefs, emotions, assumptions, perceptions, needs, motivation, etc. It also requires the willingness to engage with others without judgment, as well as an awareness of the control issues and dysfunctional patterns we tend to gravitate toward in conflict.

Connection:

Relational connection is the result of conscious and compassionate communication as we listen for understanding, express empathy, and create intimacy. It first requires listening as an observer to move beyond judgment based on personal experience and beliefs. It also requires authenticity and compassion in our speech.

Alignment:

Interpersonal alignment is explored in self disclosure as we share vision, values, and expectations. It is established in transparency and clear agreements. It protects us from assumption and is part of the foundation for effective collaboration to be built upon.

Innovation:

Innovation is the result of collaborative synergy, and is established through participatory decision making. It is built on the foundation of agreement and in the context of interpersonal awareness and conscious communication.

Participatory decision making embraces conflict as a creative opportunity to address the competing perspectives, values, needs, and desires of everyone. It is a dynamic process rooted in the values of equivalence and transparency.

Again, you can find out more about these principle and tools for facilitation at A CoCreative Path.

Echo Hills Site Plan

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It has been a while since I posted last, as we have been hung up in bureaucracy as we pursue permitting for Echo Hills Cottages. I decided to focus on architectural design, thinking I could work on the infrastructure while the first house was being built. I was mostly right but, when I went to get the permit for the first house, I found out that I needed the sewer permit first.

What I thought would be two or three weeks has now passed two months and we are still a few weeks away. We ran into one thing after another that held things up, but it looks like we are now over the hurdles and only waiting for the final approvals and paperwork.

Although it has been frustrating, it has given me a chance to work on other things that have been delayed. We have our conceptual site plan completed for building two clusters of five house each. I also have been able to get most of the remodeling done for another phase of the common house. I am even much farther on the collaborative leadership program that I have been developing.

Hopefully we will be breaking ground for building the first house by the end of the month, which most likely will be the subject of my next post. For now, here is the drawing of the conceptual site plan – click on it to enlarge.EchoHillsSitePlan

Imagine…

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collaboration2a world built on collaboration rather than competition… a world in which all people thrive, where not only the fittest survive… a world where all perspectives are honored, all gifts are valued, and no one’s need is unmet…

 

I hope some day you’ll join us…

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