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Sustainable AND
Affordable...
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"Unfortunately, green building is generally accessible only to large commercial projects or affluent home owners" - Matt Petersen, Executive Director of Global Green USA (Horrigan, 1997).
It does seem true that most of the "sustainable housing" literature shows up in "Architectural Digest" and "Natural Home" magazine. And guess what…...it's pricey.
Don't you wonder if it's even remotely possible that sustainable AND affordable could be NOT mutually exclusive?
Local Sustainable Housing
As you probably already know, there's a lot of local interest in sustainable housing. Co-housing groups are forming, demonstration projects are popping up around the county, there's straw bale at Cal Poly, etc., etc. There's even the "Sustainable Building Council of the Central Coast" which commands enough interest and participation to be able to hold monthly meetings (see their ad in this issue as well as the "Resources" section).Local Affordable Housing
So there IS sustainable. But now let's talk about Central Coast affordable. Well……here there's not much to say. You can find a few cheap apartments, but they're basically unlivable. There's some Section 8 (subsidized) housing, but way not enough. The "Tribune" generally runs the stats on local housing costliness: "Home Affordability Noose Still Tightening Here." (Stevens, 2001). This particular article warns: "only 22 percent of county residents could afford February's median-priced home of $285,160.00.Affordable AND Sustainable
Bob Banner challenged me to write an article on affordable AND sustainable housing. Oxymoronishly I accepted his dare.To my surprise, there is plenty of substance for an article (but not too much happening locally). So I'm going to take an international focus and tell you about some really exciting sustainable AND affordable housing projects underway worldwide.
Many of these projects strive for 'affordability to society' thus naturally incorporating the sustainable part of the equation. Other projects serve special-need populations and provide "affordability to the individual." These projects find that sustainability fits in the schema unexpectedly. Meaning it's just plain cheaper. Still other projects embrace sustainability for sake of The Earth. The affordability part of the equation is intentionally or just coincidentally included.
What is Sustainable?
Twenty years ago an "environmentally conscious" building essentially just had solar panels. Nowadays, sustainable planning/building (also called "green architecture ") covers a lot more territory. Any or all of these aspects are considered: where the house is located on the property, how it is aspected (positioned), the materials and resources used in construction, final indoor-air quality, power generation and energy conservation, insulation and energy-loss compensation, water treatment systems, waste reduction, the social systems involved, food production, and, especially decreasing negative environmental impacts.What is Affordable?
Well, of course this is a relative term. What is affordable to one person will not be within reach at all to another. However, I have found several major themes in the sustainable literature vis-à-vis cost containment: (1) keep materials expense down, especially by using indigenous products; (2) utilize sweat equity; (3) get subsidized (grant money, government incentives e.g. solar tax credits); (4) do the math (balancing out a higher up-front design or materials expense over the ensuing years of savings).The Scottish Rural House Demonstration Centre
"The Centre is community based and concerned with the betterment of wider social and natural environments, as well as the immediate environment in the home".Despite having about the longest URL I've ever seen, you will find it worth typing in all those letters to get to this website. web.rgu.ac.uk/.../affordabledemo.html
Aiming for "life-cycle flexibility," these buildings adapt to many different interior architectural designs using movable, non-structural partitions. Occupants can create various different living areas and "buffer spaces." The partitions get constructed from local materials, thereby supporting local economic systems. Each building centers around an interior "service core" which is premanufactured to cut costs. Environmental sensitivity shows up in usage of passive solar heating and heat circulation systems. This website does sound kind of "researchy" but lots of quality pictures make it a worthwhile website for you to visit.
While you're at the website, also check out the "zero heating house." Architects of this dwelling in northeast Scotland have eliminated the dedicated heating component. Instead, solar collection and "casual heat gain" (lighting, cooking, human bodies) produce the heat, while thermal mass floors and heavy insulation and a south-facing aspect, conserve it.
Earthships
The Earthship Biotecture group claims "the Greater World Earthship Community is… probably the most intense collection of independent, sustainable, affordable housing in the world." This organization provides seminars, literature, demonstration projects, and even earthship vacation rentals! Sign up now. Earthships rely on solar and wind power, recycled materials (tires filled with compacted earth) and integrated water systems. The website gives a very interesting discussion of the psychology involved in getting individuals and communities to accept earthships (they can look funny). The photos at this website are outstanding. http://www.earthship.org/ [see story in this issue].
The Hockerton Housing Project
This is an undertaking within Shell's "Better Britain Campaign" (yes, believe it or not, it's Shell Oil). Five earth-sheltered, self-sufficient townhouses run on solar and wind turbine power generation. The townhouses also boast high degree interior insulation and an extensive water collection system. Building costs were contained by favoring natural materials and utilizing the project members' own labor. Construction loans were later converted to mortgages, and the members also participated in an internal economy. While not directly contributing to affordability, project members have also begun to conduct tours and make presentations. http://www.sbbc.co.uk/ click on "project profiles" then "Hockerton Housing Project." Incidentally, while you are in "project profiles" check out the "Sherwood Energy Village." Both Sherwood and Hockerton illustrate a tried-and-true means to affordability: go out and get grant money.Enertia Homes
"A Do-It Yourself Dollar Saved is Worth Several Dollars Earned"Like the Hockerton project, Enertia Homes obtain their affordability through sweat equity. The Enertia company claims that you can save up to half of your construction costs by building yourself. And: "there is no greater way to cut the cost of housing." This website is fascinating in the logic. For example, if you "account for interest never paid, on money never borrowed, your time self-building could be worth $100 per hour." This company has even figured out how you can find the time you need to build your own house. Of course, why didn't we think of this before?….just take "shelternity" leave! Enertia Homes are designed to be off the grid and low maintenance. Check out their "environment" section, it's very idealistic, yet still seems quite reasonable. BUT the day your Enertia house kit arrives, YOUR work begins. Yikes! YOU NOW REALIZE that no amount of shelternity leave could possibly be enough to finish this. Not to worry. Call Enertia, they will gladly send out your very own factory-trained assistant! This is a do-not-miss website. http://enertia.com/.
hey, don't build more of them…….
RETROFIT!
Here's an emperor's-clothes: no matter how innovative we might become with our new green-architectured homes, we already have too many unsustainable buildings right now.
The solution…….RETROFIT.Retrofitting is not a new concept. However, it has evolved to incorporate the latest technology, the newest materials, and the most innovative system designs. To retrofit a dilapidated, 80-year old three-story house, architects in Cambridge, Massachusetts, demolished it down to bare bones. They then transformed the structure using non-toxic wood alternatives, composting toilets, solar technology, and indoor plant systems. (Lyman, 2001, "Sustainable Housing Demonstration Project").
If you want to read a really inspiring article, which takes retrofitting and expands it way beyond simply reusing old buildings, read: "Restorative Design: Designing to inspire, touch the heart, elevate the spirit, and restore a degraded environment" http://www.context.org/.../berkebil.htm.
This article is an interview with Bob Berkebile, who co-founded the American Institute of Architect's "Committee on the Environment." This man has a serious vision. (I also love him because he quotes Bucky Fuller.) Berkebile hits affordability in the sustainable equation too. For example, he explains the wisdom of up-front money spent on design, which then reduces construction and operating expenses, and also creates efficiency savings after it's costed out over time.
I know I'm off my topic here, but I can't help it: as you read this interview, especially notice the part about how American architects need to "get it" regarding sustainability:
"The developing world is rushing to duplicate our community model, which is arguably the most inefficient, non-sustainable model available."
Well ok, I CAN bring it back to my article topic…..if we are serious about sustainable and affordable housing, we have to get out of our self-centeredness: ("sustainable and affordable housing for First World ME")……truth is, most of the rest of the world MUST have sustainable and affordable housing, it's not just a luxury.
Special Populations
The concept of affordable and sustainable housing has outstanding applicability for special-need populations. For example, efforts to create sustainable housing for impoverished Aboriginal communities in Canada have no choice but to be affordable. web.rgu.ac.uk/.../affordabledemo.html.Also Canadian, the "Shelter Unlimited" group works toward providing sustainable shelter solutions for "communities in need as a result of poverty and misfortune." They promote use of local renewable materials and utilize indigenous labor. http://www.arraydev.com/.../over.html.
Can you think of a population with any greater special-housing-needs than….the homeless? At Argule Street Housing Service, the mission statement includes being "committed to sustainable housing options for people facing or experiencing homelessness in the Inner South" http://www.ashs.org.au/index.html.
Special Populations: Dementia and Elderly
I am a geriatric social worker. For years I have struggled with lack of appropriate housing for my folks who suffer dementia. Recently we have seen an increase in dementia-sensitive housing (structurally hardwired wanderguard systems, enclosed perimeters, etc.). But affordable, let alone sustainable…...well, there just isn't anything.So you can imagine my excitement when I read that "Scottish Rural House Demonstration Centre" has a vision which includes "support systems for people with dementia." (website described above).
Another project I was delighted to read about is the Burnham Building in New York. For this remodel of an old nineteenth-century structure, the architects included a target resident population of elderly folks on fixed incomes. The "green" complex boasts triple glazed windows, cellulose fiber insulation, and a photovolatically maintained community room. The group also secured "a unique combination of equity and financing resources" for funding. Go to http://www.rose-network.com/. Click on "Our Projects" then click on "Burnham Building." This project also exemplifies the sustainability concept called "Smart Growth" (Grindle, 2000).
Then There's the Developers
"The principle "small is beautiful" is often held aloft by environmentalists, but it's not always practiced by Earth-conscious architects, whose tony showcase ecohomes are sometimes sprawling mansions" (Horrigan, 1997).Yes, sustainable housing has developed a bandwagon. Researching this article I came across loads of developers' websites. Frankly, many were just vehicles for self-promotion capitalizing on currently popular vernacular. Still, amongst all that marketing, I found a few websites which seemed to reflect "getting" the concepts. Here are a few sites that I particularly liked:
Centerline Designs, Green Architecture http://www.reddawn.com/index.html (good articles and a "green bulletin board")
Jonathan Rose & Companies, Affordable Housing Development Corporation
http://www.rose-network.comKansas City, Mo., architect Bob Berkebile, a founder of the AIA Committee on the Environment, http://www.bnim.com/ main page of his firm: http://www.bnim.com/
Moule & Polyzoides, Architects and Urbanists http://www.mparchitects.com/. These architects co-wrote the Ahwahnee Principles (see HopeDance September/October 2000, p. 27).
More Neat Websites and Resources
B.E.S.T. (Building Environmental Science and Technology) http://www.nrg-builder.com/
Colorado Chapter, American Institute of Architects, and, ADPSR (Architects Designers & Planners for Social Responsibility) website: http://www.diac.com/~ggray/SDRG/sdrg.htm good articles, they also sell green products.
Context Institute "a nonprofit research organization exploring and clarifying just what is involved in a humane sustainable culture - and how we can get there." http://www.context.org/index.html
Environmental Home Center, an on-line store selling green building materials. http://www.built-e.com/home.shtml
Greendesign Network http://www.greendesign.net/
In Context, a Quarterly of Humane Sustainable Culture http://www.context.org/ICLIB/icintro.htm
References
Grindle, Carla (2000). "Sustainability That Works" HopeDance, Issue #24, Sept/Oct, p. 26-27.
Horrigan, Alice (1997). "Affordable By Design: Building an Eco-House on a Tight Budget is No Longer an Impossible Dream" E-Magazine, vol VII, number IV
Lyman, Francesca, "12 Gates to the City" Sierra Magazine, May/June 2001.
Stevens, Leslie E. (2001). "The Tribune" 4/06/2001, Business Section, D-1, p.1. m
Carla Grindle