Imagine living in a place where clean air, abundant greenery and efficient energy come as standard. As we face urgent environmental challenges, designing affordable low-carbon communities has never been more important.
Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities is a very interesting book, looking at co-housing communities, where people live in a unique type of housing development that values independence, but keeps a sense of community surrounding.
This illustrated manual combines the practical design considerations with numerous case studies of co-housing communities in Europe and North America. Ideal also to create more sustainable lifestyles that are within walking distance of parks and shops, co-housing communities also make everything from gardening to childcare much easier.
If planting green spaces, learn how to create pet-safe gardens (use humane slug/snail deterrents). Avoid facing indoor foliage to gardens, to help stop birds flying into windows.
A book to put the ‘neighbour’ back into neighbourhoods, the authors are award-winning architects who have designed over 50 co-housing communities in the USA and consulted on many more worldwide.
They also wrote the Senior Cohousing Handbook, which looks at how such communities can lead to better health, social contact, safety and affordability for older residents. Also read Community Led Housing.
CoHousing lists communities across England. And in Manchester, MICO is building a sustainable, intergenerational cohousing community.
What are Low-Carbon Communities?
Low-carbon communities aim to drastically cut carbon emissions through clever design and smart technology. They represent a fresh approach to urban planning, where sustainability takes centre stage.
By using fewer fossil fuels and promoting eco-friendly lifestyles, these communities strive to create a more sustainable future.
So, what makes a community low-carbon? Here are some key features:
- Energy Efficiency: Buildings are designed or retrofitted to consume less energy. Think triple-glazed windows, superior insulation, and intelligent climate control systems.
- Renewable Energy Sources: From solar panels on roofs to community wind farms, these communities harness renewable power.
- Sustainable Transportation: By prioritising public transport, cycling and walking, they minimise reliance on petrol-driven vehicles.
Low-carbon communities are packed with advantages. Firstly, they cut carbon emissions significantly, easing the pressure on our planet. But there’s more:
- Improved Air Quality: With fewer cars and more green energy, residents breathe cleaner air.
- Enhanced Quality of Life: Imagine a neighbourhood with cleaner parks, safe walking paths, and vibrant community events. These are places where people want to live and thrive.
- Lower Energy Bills: Energy-efficient homes often mean lower utility costs for residents.
Prefab homes can be game-changers. They’re built off-site and assembled quickly, cutting labour costs and reducing waste. Plus, they often integrate sustainable materials and smart designs, making them eco-friendly and affordable.
Everyone loves a good park. Green areas not only uplift the mood but also boost biodiversity. They offer habitats for wildlife and serve as natural air filters, making communities healthier and happier.
Designing Affordable Housing Solutions
Building for People is a book by a German architect (and eco-district planner) who makes the case for building low-carbon communities for both residential and mixed-use (a blend of houses and small shops, as used to happen years ago).
Drawing from his work in Europe and North America, the author shows potential for creating eco-friendly districts that address housing shortages, while at the same time helping to prevent climate change (not just energy-efficient buildings but walkable communities, so people don’t need cars that use oil to buy food or visit the hair salon etc).
Livable communities have a low carbon impact, and also offer a good social fabric with economic benefits for independent shops, along with open space that is free for all (no having to drive your dog to the park).
People in these communities can live car-free or car-light. Better quality of life for all the community. The book includes colour photos and illustrations of what’s possible, drawing heavily from examples in German cities.
Michael Eliason is an architect and focusing on low-carbon buildings and climate-adaptive urbanism. He specialises in social housing, eco-districts and baugruppen (urban co-housing). He also serves on the board of Seattle’s new Passivhaus Social Housing, and is a Passivhaus consultant himself.
