The Green Neighbourhood

EARTHSONG, A CO-HOUSING COMMUNITY IN WAITAKERE CITY’S RANUI, IS BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES.

Words: Bette Flagler  Photographs: Minka Firth

How it all started

Co-housing creates intentional communities where home-owners hold the titles to their units as well as shares in common buildings and land. Residents do not necessarily have a shared economy, religion or beliefs but do share a vision for a cohesive living environment. While communities are designed to encourage socializing, residents balance their needs for privacy and autonomy. Co-housing communities are typically planned, owned and managed by residents and the first ones were built in Denmark in the 1960s. The idea was embraced in many countries but became most popular in northern Europe and the United States. Earthsong was the first in New Zealand and founding members began talking about the idea in the early 1980s. By 1995, a group committed to the idea had been established and in April 1999 they purchased a 1.67-hectare organic orchard on which to build the neighbourhood. The land was chosen because it was of a suitable size, was affordable, was close to public transport (it is a five-minute walk to the train station) and, as an organic orchard, was as clean as possible.

Timeline

Willing to work with a group to put ideas of sustainability into practice, Auckland architect Bill Algie was hired in June 1999. Construction began in October 2000, the first houses were completed in July 2001 and the second group of homes was finished in 2004. The common house was constructed in 2005 and final accommodations were finished in 2006. Currently, the finishing touches to driveway paving and car parks are being made.

Homes

The neighbourhood consists of 32 semi-detached units that range from one-bedroomed flats to four-bedroomed houses, including seven units that are wheelchair accessible. Buildings face north and are constructed from a combination of rammed earth and untreated timber. Passive solar heating warms the concrete floors and solar heating provides the majority of hot water. Rain water collected from the roofs is stored in tanks and used for gardens, hot-water cisterns and toilets. City water is supplied for cooking and drinking. While the neighbourhood is designed so that it can install its own sewage system, it is currently on the city system. Composting toilets are not currently allowed in urban areas but Landcare Research is supporting the trial of one at the common house.

Permaculture

Permaculture is a contraction of the words permanent and agriculture and describes the nature of the environment at Earthsong. Among other things, permaculture minimizes environmental impact by reducing storm-water run-off (plantings in marsh gardens slow storm-water absorption; run-off is collected in a pond) and encouraging self-sufficiency in water consumption and food production. Compost bins are used to break down organic waste and, while individuals may do whatever they please inside their homes and plant whatever they like on their private property, they may not introduce anything that conflicts with the community’s organic policies.  Cars are parked on the periphery of the property to reduce the environmental footprint.

Community Education

Waitakere City Council granted the Earthsong Centre Trust a $300,000 interest-free loan to construct the common house which is available to the wider community for activities and meetings. Earthsong volunteers offer tours to interested city councils, students and overseas visitors. They chose to build in Waitakere because of the council’s eco-city policies and the neighbourhood fits well with the council’s desire to encourage affordable, sustainable housing that has a low environmental impact. Earthsong has subdivided the front section of the property to develop into an eco-friendly town centre for Ranui. While still in the planning process, the centre will ideally contain shops, an organic café, a small movie theatre, doctors’ surgeries and a library. Offices above the shops will enable residents and locals to rent space and walk to work.

Self-Management

Earthsong operates like a small town with designated groups that focus on legal structures, administration and body-corporate concerns, permaculture, management of the common house and membership and community life. The neighbourhood is designed to encourage socializing: for example, letter-boxes are all at the common house and cars are parked on the property’s periphery. An absence of cars creates a safe living area for kids and pets and a walk to the car affords the chance to chat with a neighbour. There is a shared workshop and while some equipment (lawnmowers or weedeaters, for example) may be freely lent, “green dollars” are used by some residents to swap labour. A vegetable co-operative takes orders on Thursdays and delivers food on Mondays. The common house has an industrial kitchen, a guest room that residents can book for visitors, a space that is used for meetings, yoga and meditation classes, a children’s playroom and a teenagers’ room with its own entrance.