A home builder in the west valley of the Phoenix area is building what they call ‘net zero energy’ houses. They are doing this by building typical houses you see in Phoenix, but by adding more insulation, energy efficient appliances, and installing solar panels on all the homes. The builder claims the occupants shouldn’t see energy bills above $20 a month. This seems like a good step in the right direction and these features should be very desirable to home buyers especially in the summer. Here’s an article about this builder in the Arizona Republic.

I just ran across an article on azstarnet.com about Kyle Young, a man that has built his own house, is an organic farmer, and is nearly self sustaining.

A pioneer in the natural-building movement that took off in the late ’70s, Young built his 600-square-foot home in Arivaca entirely from natural materials such as cob and bamboo, creating a weather-proof fortress that is both environmentally friendly and cost-effective.

“Most of the materials came from excavations at the building site,” says Young, now 54. “I just dug in and added a little bit of straw for reinforcement.”

[Read More]

This building is in my own back yard, and within walking distance of my house. It’s great to see that the water company that serves Maricopa is making an effort to be more sustainable.

The new Global Water Center is the first LEED certified utility facility in Pinal County. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is the national benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-efficiency green buildings. LEED promotes environmentally conscious building by recognizing six key categories:

• sustainable sites
• energy and atmosphere
• water efficiency
• indoor environmental quality
• materials and resources
• innovation in design

More on Global Water’s Resource Center

“The Global Water Center uses a high percentage of recycled water, recycled building materials, and takes advantage of natural light and high-efficiency heating and AC, so it uses only two thirds of the electricity and one sixth the water of an average comparable traditionally constructed commercial structure. We are extremely proud of this achievement and are committed to taking a leadership role in green practices.” says Trevor Hill, President & CEO of Global Water Resources.

Press Release

Just a couple days ago I posted about cohousing and today I noticed this story about Manzanita Village in Prescott. They are receiving a matching grant from the Arizona State Land Department to enhance it’s urban forest and to expand it’s networks of information sharing. They are going to achieve this by hosting workshops where they install cisterns to collect rainwater that falls on their common house. They will be using this to water new forest garden catchment basins that they will also be installing at the workshops. On April 26th and 27th Andrew Millison, local permaculture expert, and Prescott College Instructor, and Macrae Nicoll, of High Desert Rain Catchment will lead the workshops at Manzanita Village. For the full story head over to www.readitnews.com.

I’m reading the book ‘Native to Nowhere’ for a class of mine and it’s talking about how many suburbs have hurt people’s sense of community and place. I’m just starting the book, but it got me thinking about Arizona and how many people here don’t seem to feel like they are part of a community. I have to admit I hardly know my neighbors. I was wondering if there were any developments that specifically are designed to create a community, a sense of belonging. Surprising I found a few here in Arizona. So far with a little Google searching I found three cohousing communities. Cohousing doesn’t mean they all share a house, but they are closer then your average suburb. Here’s Wikipedia’s definition.

A cohousing community is a kind of intentional community composed of private homes with full kitchens, supplemented by extensive common facilities. A cohousing community is planned, owned and managed by the residents, groups of people who want more interaction with their neighbours. Common facilities vary but usually include a large kitchen and dining room where residents can take turns cooking for the community. Other facilities may include a laundry, pool, child care facilities, offices, internet access, game room, TV room, tool room or a gym. Through spatial design and shared social and management activities, cohousing facilitates intergenerational interaction among neighbours, for the social and practical benefits. There are also economic and environmental benefits to sharing resources, space and items.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohousing

On top of these developments catering to a sense of community it seems most of them also incorporate a lot of sustainable living practices. Most of the houses are built to be very energy efficient, have greywater systems installed, and have water harvesting equipment installed. They use non- or low-toxicity building materials to protect their health as well. Community gardens, pools, and parks also serve to make the community more tight.

Tucson’s Desert Living recently did a profile on of these communities called Stone Curves. Click here to watch it online.

Here’s a list of cohousing communities I found in Arizona:

• Milagro - Tucson
• Sonora - Tucson
• Stone Curves - Tucson
• Manzanita Village - Prescott