Restful Living?

I wish I could live in this low impact woodland home! There's something deeply calming and attractive about it's organic lines and humble design. Built by two full-time parents with nothing more than time and £3000 -- it's enough to prompt my first feelings of buyers regret over our small condo.





Eco Villages

These communities are super neat. Residents live in sustainable homes like the one featured above, they grow their own food, and raise their own livestock -- but that much we expect when we hear the words "eco village". What you might not expect is that these groups are also making an intelligent and concentrated effort to foster community, democracy and human happiness wherever they take root.

If that sounds like a plateful -- it isn't so much as it sounds. Methods include farmer's markets, sharing skills and buying locally, and physically integrating eco villages with the towns they reside in. The Village at Cloughjordan in Ireland has included buying into, and revitalizing the main street of this town with new shops, activities and local artworks. The entrance to the eco village intersects this main street, encouraging village and town members to interact and get to know each other as neighbours.


Click image to see a full size planning layout for The Village at Cloughjordan.

You can learn more about eco villages by watching these short, documentary style videos entitled "Living in the Future". I recommend them, they're interesting and fun! And they might make you wonder if eco village living isn't a little slice of paradise...