If all goes well,  in the sweet little neighborhood of Mt. Airy in northwest Philadelphia, lies the future of home of Wissahickon Village Cohousing.  The 10 households who make up the current membership want to build a 32 home green and sustainable community on a property owned by Iron Stone Strategic Capital Partners,  a real estate investment and development company that identifies and rehabilitates distressed properties.   An historic home, the Garrett-Dunn House, that once graced the property, burned down.

Iron Stone already has approval to build a 32 mixed townhouse and condo building complex on the site.  Andrew Eisenstein, principal and founder of Iron Stone, became interested in the possibility of cohousing at the site when he was approached by WVC member, Melissa Klein.  “I was intrigued enough by the concept  of cohousing described to me to find out if my current plan was adaptable to the cohousing model” said Eisenstein, “and if not, what other design might be appropriate for the site.”

WVC has hired Cohousing Collaborative,  LLC to create an initial site plan to demonstrate that the site will accommodate a cohousing community as envisioned by the members.  Cohousing Collaborative will also help the community negotiate the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding with Iron Stone should both parties agree to move forward.    One of the many things that Cohousing Collaborative is doing for the group is educating them about the development process so they can make informed decisions.   “We had come a long, long way organizing ourselves to take on creating a cohousing community in Philadephia.” said Klein. “We got to a spot where we needed help figuring out the next right thing to do.  That’s why we turned to Cohousing Collaborative.”

Jack Wilbern, Cohousing Collaborative, leading workshop programming and design session.

Cohousing Collaborative principals,  Jack Wilbern and Ann Zabaldo spent one and a half days in an intensive workshop over the Labor Day weekend focused on two outcomes:  a series of rough sketches of possible site configurations and an action plan for the next tasks including a “Pitch Package” for the developer.  The 1.5 day intensive workshop produced four possible sketches.  The group also brainstormed a Plan of Action and Next Steps for the next 45 days.  “I was gratified to see that two of the four sketches appear to work very wel for cohousing” said Wilbern who is also an architect and who led the programming and site design portions of the workshop.  “The group had excellent suggestions for translating their vision of cohousing into an actual working drawing.”

The group is moving ahead quite rapidly.  “We were thrilled with the progress we made this past weekend.  Challenging process … and thrilled,” said Vanessa Lowe, a long time Philly resident and WVC member.  According to Bob Bernstein, himself an architect in Philly, “…we’re no where near ‘final’ on any of these drawings so it’s a good time to join in.  There’s still lots to do to design our community — both the bricks n’ mortar and the social aspects.”

In the same way that Cohousing Collaborative is educating the WVC members, they are also clarifying the benefits and the particulars of working with a forming cohousing community to Iron Stone. “One of the great joys of working in cohousing is working with experienced developers new to the cohousing model,” said Zabaldo.  “Once they understand the benefits of the model to the developer — and there are many –  they are ‘sold’ on it.”

Want to live in cohousing in the “City of Brotherly Love?”  You can find out more about Wissahickon Village Cohousing by calling Libby:   215-842-3949.  Or email:  info@WissahickonVillageCoho.com

Members Wissahickon Village Cohousing

Related articles

• Cohousing principles
• Cohousing: The secret to sustainable urban living?
• A Little Levity for Cohousers Everywhere
• Green Living Options

From Care2.org article on Clean Energy Business Competition

Just heard about this competition … we wanted to get this out to you immediately as the competition deadline is February 29, 2012.

From the Care2.org website:

–begin–
Led by CalTech, a public-private consortium called First Look West (FLoW) is looking for entrepreneurial-minded university students from all disciplines to apply to win $200,000 in prize money by submitting their idea for a clean energy business. The effort is part of Startup America, the Obama Administration’s campaign to inspire and promote entrepreneurship.

Even more important than the prize money, FLoW offers experienced mentors, legal start-up packages and the opportunity to pitch to investors ready to take action and work with student entrepreneurs. Winning teams from six regions across the country also get the chance to participate in the National Competition in Washington D.C., June 2012.

“FLoW will provide students with the lifelong skills needed to start new ventures now or in the future and transform promising energy technologies into innovative energy products that will create jobs, boost American competitiveness, and strengthen the economy,” said Krisztina Holly, Vice Provost for Innovation at USC, as well as a member of the National Advisory Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

If you’ve been sitting on a great idea for a clean tech company or product, now might be the time to put it down on paper. Finalists will be automatically accepted into the Green Technology Entrepreneurship Academy (GTEA), offered by the Child Family Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, at UC Davis, June 25 – 27, 2012.

These are once in a lifetime opportunities but you’ve got to act fast: Applications are due by February 28, 2012. Students from California, Alaska, Idaho, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, American Samoa and Guam are invited to enter. Applications can be submitted online at the FLoW website, www.flow.caltech.edu. Experienced business leaders interested in mentoring can sign up there as well.

Read more.

–end–

Related articles

• Competition Offers University Students $200,000 and the Chance to Start a Clean Energy Business (prnewswire.com)
• Global Entrepreneurship Week 2011 Kicks Off in 123 Countries Engaging More Than 10 Million Current and Aspiring Entrepreneurs Worldwide (kauffman.org)
• Funding Our Future (forbes.com)

Vertical Forest Milan, Italy

Act locally  … think vertically!  Here’s the second vertical forest we’ve come across.  This one sent to us via Matt LeGrant who found it as a Facebook posting.

By the way … it’s not the first reforestation project of this sort as the Facebook posting suggests.  Last October 2011,we reported on this architectural phenomenon already happening in Japan.

Here’s what Matt’s email had to say:

–begin–

From a recent Facebook post:

A fascinating new pair of residential towers called Bosco Verticale is being constructed at Milan, Italy. Designed by architect Stefano Boeri, Bosco Verticale is being construed as a project for metropolitan reforestation that contributes to the regeneration of the environment and urban biodiversity without the implication of expanding the city upon the territory. Towering over the city’s skyline the world’s first forest in the sky will be a sight to behold. The 27 storied building will accommodate nearly one hectare of forest trees as tall as oak and amelanchiers in its cleverly designed balconies. The 365 and 260 foot emerald twin towers will house an astonishing 900 trees, 5,000 shrubs and 11,000 ground cover plants.
This is a concept illustration of how Bosco Verticale will look like when completed.
In summer, the trees will provide shade and filter the city‚s dust; in winter, sunlight will shrine through the bare branches. Bosco Verticale’s greenery will absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, while protecting the building from wind and penetrating sunlight. Boeri claims that the inclusion of trees adds just 5 percent to construction costs, and is a necessary response to the sprawl of the modern city. If the units were individual houses, it would require 50,000 sq m of land, and 10,000 sq m of woodland.

–end–

What do you think about this architecture? Has anyone else encountered a sustainable project like this?  We’d love to include a post about any other project that includes such a tremendous amount of reforestation so cleverly done as the one in Japan and this one in Italy. Truly a innovative design concept that forwards green and sustainable living. Please either post a note below and include a link or photo or send an email to:

abigail@cohousingcollaborative.com

Posted by:  Ann Zabaldo, Principal Partner, Cohousing Collaborative, LLC

Mid-Atlantic Passive House Meet-Up next Sunday at the Arlington Passive House!

Visit their website for more information:  http://www.meetup.com/Mid-Atlantic-Passive-House-Alliance/boards/view/viewthread?thread=19227902

Cohousing Residents:  Get Passive House Consultant Training!

Here is a great opportunity to become a  certified Passive House Consultant!  Passive House Institute US offers consultant training programs around the country.  These are typically 9 days, broken up into two sessions.  There is one currently in Chicago, another coming to VT, and the third of the year will be in Richmond Virginia.

The course covers topics including:

• Passive House Basic Design Principles
• Passive House Energy Balancing and Modeling – Introduction for Single and Multi-family
• Residential Passive Houses
• Envelope Design & Detailing
• Mechanical Systems Design
• Passive House Retrofits and Non-Residential Buildings
• Quality Assurance and Economic Feasibility

If you are interested, read more on their website:  http://www.passivehouse.us/passiveHouse/PHIUSConsultantsTraining2012Schedule.html

Or, view the curriculum here: http://www.passivehouse.us/trainingdocs/NaCPHC_Training_Agenda_2011.pdf

Phase I: February 20-24
Phase II: April 9-12
Exam on April 12

Virginia Housing Center
4224 Cox Rd,
Glen Ellen, VA

Go sign up, start learning, and bring more Passive House knowledge into Cohousing!

The U.S. Green Building Council recently launched a new, user friendly website:  www.greenhomeguide.com.   Check it out – it has a wealth of resources and information for building and maintaining greener homes!

I particularly like this page, which lists the various programs and certifications available for green residences.

Lake Chapala Cohousing Rancho La Salud Village

If you didn’t get a chance to explore the website of this cool project in Mexico, here is their website again:  http://rancholasaludvillage.com/

Today, as promised, we are featuring an interview with Rick Colishaw, one of the founders of this Rancho La Salud Village.  This new community is currently in the forming stages and located right near Lake Chapala.  It is primarily a community for retired American expats with extensive convenience and health services provided, but it is open to everyone.  Read below or browse their website to learn more!

 What is your (and the owner, Jaime Navarro’s) background?

Architect, specialist in passive solar and energy efficiency for 15 years, founder of built-green program in Colorado, and architect for cohousing project in Colorado Springs.

“Rick Cowlishaw has been an architect in Colorado and several other states.  He specialized in energy efficient and passive solar homes.  Rick later worked for the State of Colorado in the Colorado Office of Energy Conservation where he headed up the residential section.  Cowlishaw created the Colorado Green Program for the state.  This was adopted by the Denver Homebuilders Association as the Built-Green Program and spread to other areas of the state.  Later the National Homebuilders Association adopted the Green Program which led to 38 states in the US adopting of similar green programs.  Since that time he has worked as a design consultant in a new type of housing called Cohousing.  He has lived in Cohousing for 14 years.  Rick brings to Rancho La Salud Village his knowledge of passive solar architecture, green building, self-sufficiency and building community.

Jaime Navarro is Rancho La Salud’s owner and developer.  He specialized in organic agriculture, sustainable living systems, family business management and coaching.  A Lakeside resident, business entrepreneur and neo-farmer since 2008, he actively participates in the Lake Chapala Green Group and has committed his life to bringing back healthy organic foods, intelligent sustainable cohousing and multiversity education and coaching, for the integral evolution of human consciousness.  He lived, studied, and worked in the US for 15 years as a research fellow and lecturer at UCLA and The Rand Corporation in Santa Monica, CA.  He later returned to Mexico and served as Dean for the ITESM (Technologico de Monterrey) Graduate School of Business at Guadalajara and lectured extensively at US, Canadian, and Mexican universities before settling at Rancho La Salud Village.  Jaime and Sara are its founders and first dwellers.

Why Cohousing in Mexico?

I retired to Ajijic Mexico, met the developer and decided to assist with Rancho La Salud Village.  It is a dream project for me in that it includes many of the elements I have learned over the years, but never been able to include in one project.  These are cohousing, passive solar heating and cooling, passive hot water heating, electrical generation, water harvesting, green construction, living healthy life-long learning, and designing for aging-in-place.

Why the Retail Shops?  (Primarily for convenience of residents?  To bring in income? Do you think the retail shops will have enough customer base to survive?)

The retail shops are fairly common here along the highway and in front of a gated community.  They seem to rent quite well over time.  We have room for just 3 or 4 small shops, so it is not a large economic risk.

The retail shops in our case will provide services to the residents and are integrated into the community.  One side faces the highway with parking, the other faces into the community.

One shop will sell organic produce, some grown by the residents and some grown commercially.  We have an acre under cover with a commercial organic greenhouse across the street.  The homeowners will have access to use a small portion of the greenhouse and for outdoor farming.  We will be the only totally organic store in the area, and expats love organic produce here.  We hope to have residents in the community that enjoy making  jellies, jams, pies, breads, and flavored oils and vinegar.  In the same shop can be displayed for sale art work done by the community members.  This includes oils, watercolors, pottery, and jewelry.  Yes, extra income, but for the enjoyment of it.

There are four other gated complexes within walking distance from which to draw clients.  The shop owners can bring the product to them by carrying their product in the back of trucks directly to these and other communities.  In our community they can walk door to door and the residents can walk down to the shops for what is available.  Yes, for the convenience.

There is another reason.  We plan to intentionally create jobs for the Mexicans, perhaps even start ownership of a business with micro-loans.

A second shop will be a laundry, picked up and delivered for each residence.  Part of this service includes ironing.  The laundry draws business from the other surrounding communities.  This should do quite well economically.  Just imagine setting your laundry out, then etting it back ironed on hangers two days later.  This is a convenience.

A third shop will be for medical.  A doctor will visit once a week and go house to house by prior arrangement.  There will be a visiting nurse 3 times a week.  This might include a small pharmacy.  This would be part of a wellness center for alternate ways of maintaining health.

You can see how these inter-relate to each other and the community.  They also create jobs.

The common house will have an entry, mailboxes, small living room, large dining room, TV area, large kitchen, combo men and women restroom, two bedrooms with baths, and a small gym.  There will be a patio for outside dining for 30 people.

What kind of market analysis did you do before making this decision?

We have no formal analysis.  We do have a copy of an analysis that shows a need for assisted living that covers some of the same issues.  We did a informal focus group to see if we are on the right track.  I have a fair exposure to the expat market through the Lake Chapala Society, an expat group of over 3,000 members.  There are probably 30,000 expats along a 20 mile strip here.  And then there are the 10,000 US baby boomers turning 65 each day.

US and Canadian expats have moved here and more move here every day.  I have met expats from Sweden, Spain, Germany, and England.  There are compelling reasons to move to the north shore of Ajijic, among them lovely 60 degree to 80 degree weather year round, great natural beauty of a 14 mile wide and 50 mile long lake surrounded by high mountains, great eating places, wonderful interesting people, a great number of things to do and a total cost about one-half of the US.

We are doing a gated community much like others here with the addition of Cohousing.  These gated communities have been successful.  We consider it low risk because of the need of expats who have left their friends, children and grand children back home.  They have a need for “living-in-community” and of extended family which cohousing offers.  Remember, we need only 29 people who want to buy into this project.

Yes, at least from the “creating community” non-physical part of the Village.  We have developed the building layout on the site based on Cohousing principles and several sample home plans.  Part of the Cohousing model is to have early investor/residents, and we offer this.  The early investor will purchase a lot at a large discount and we will use the funds from the first 7 investors to work with consultants and to build the infrastructure.  We can begin construction of the homes at any time, as these homes are very close to “stand-alone” and can be built separately one at a time.

The early investors have several advantages.  They get their pick of the lots.  They get a large discount.  They get to work on their community – how it is governed, the regulations, and how they will work with each other.  They get to review the plans.  They get to know their neighbors sooner.

We hope to complete the Village in four years.  This much depends on the residents.

The major market will be retired expats from 60 to 80 years old.  We would like it to be as international as possible.  The developer is a Mexican National, and we would certainly welcome Mexicans.  The issue is cash.  Loans are very difficult to get here, and more people buy for cash.

Our approach is letting people choose this type of housing.  It will be self-selecting.  People will choose this because they see the value and want this type of community.  It will lean more toward Senior Cohousing with the extra features.  We believe that cohousing with the extras we offer in a beautiful location will sell itself.  We just need to get our story told.

How is this community different (other than you’ve already answered!) than conventional US cohousing communities?  

Very few cohousing communities are off the grid.  We aren’t either (we still tie into the electric grid, but have zero electrical bills) the rest of the project is off the grid.  We will emphasize living healthy, have life-long learning and be able to age-in-place.  We will have much of the physical work done by Mexicans although residents can do as much work as they like.

I heard much of the work will be already completed when residents move in, making it very desirable to retired folks. Can you comment on that also?

Labor here is more affordable which will allow for more services done by local Mexicans.  I believe Mexicans are very hard working and are delighted with the jobs we bring.  For instance, I imagine the Village will employ 10 to 15 people.  As we age, we can do less physical jobs but we can certainly supervise. Not having to do the physical jobs allows us to have more time to give back. We can give back to the community and we can give back to local charities.

1st LEED Certified Platinum Passive House in Maine

GO Logic is building Belfast Cohousing in Maine!

Now comes another example of how building ultra green doesn’t mean breaking the piggy bank.

GO Logic LLC, has been awarded a  Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)  for its Passive House in Maine. LEED Platinum is the highest level of achievement given by the USGBC.  GO Logic also received the 2011 LEED Homes Project of the Year Award at the 2011 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo in Toronto.

The passive house design will improve the space heating loads by 86% resulting in significant heating cost savings.  The annual heating bill of this 1500 s/f home in Maine is expected to be about $300 per year.  Construction costs for this ultra green home was $160 s/f.

Matthew O’Malia, principal of GO LLC, says  ”Our aim is to revolutionize home construction standards in North America.  As a company they are pursuing “… the next generation of housing that maximizes comfort, energy efficiency and cost while providing all of the amenities of a standard home.”

GO Logic is also the builder for the Belfast, Maine Cohousing community which had its ground breaking on Tuesday, November 15th.  When completed, Belfast Cohousing will have 36 highly energy efficient homes clustered around a Common House.  (Pssst!   They still have a few homes left!)

At $160 s/f for construction, sustainable, green homes are within reach of most cohousers budgets.  Your mileage may vary depending on the economic conditions of where you live.

Congratulations to GO Logic, LLC on its recent LEED award and to the future residents of Belfast Cohousing.  May construction go swimmingly well and may we all be invited to the ribbon cutting when the building phase is completed and you begin living in your new community,

More info:

GO Logic LLC Passive House

Belfast Cohousing

Submitted by:  Ann Zabaldo, Principal, Cohousing Collaborative, LLC

Lake/Flato Architects "Porches" Series

Lake/Flato Architects combine modular systems with custom designed “add-ons” such as decks, porches, breezeways, carports and more — all called “porches” — to reduce costs.   The finished product is all LEED certified for energy efficiency.  Using modular systems reduces construction time.  Custom designing the add-ons results in a look that is specific to the site so the finished homes don’t have to have that  cookie cutter look!

Is this an idea you can use to reduce the cost of building your cohousing community?   Read more about this system:   http://ow.ly/

Submitted by  Ann Zabaldo, Principal Partner, Cohousing Collaborative, LLC

Green "Roof": Vertical Thinking

  Japanese Architecture Takes Green Roofs to a Whole New Level – Literally

Next time you’re envisioning your green roof … think vertically instead of just horizontally.  As this Japanese design shows … you can have your own private forest not just low lying succulents.

More at:   http://ow.ly/75Pkj

Submitted by:   Ann Zabaldo, Principal Partner, Cohousing Collaborative, LLC