New Community Prototype Green/Sustainability Design Concept by ALDO PAREDES Sustainability refers to the capacity of something to endure.

e. In ecology, it ref ers to biological systems' ability to remain diverse and productive over time. Sustainability is an ecological policy that states that humans and nature are in terdependent for survival, and that wastes need to be responsibly removed to pre serve the quality of life. Sustainability, in a general sense, is the capacity to maintain a certain proces s or state indefinitely. So, the question is; how can we design a community that will not just take but giv e back? How do we develop responsibly? Is there a way to be one with the land su stainability. This is Environmental responsibility. The economy is another factor that we need to take into consideration as we pond er new developments. The consumers are more educated and more intuitive about te chnology and value. So, we the developers, must come up with new ideas that will address the needs of our costumers/buyers and the need to be responsible with o ur environment. In this regard, I have taken it upon myself to assemble all of the major compone nts that would ultimately produce a project that has a Unique and very marketable concept. This unique concept gives you the ability to expand your geographical m arket area and it allows you to compete with other more notable developments. In addition, I have started to conceptualize the first model/spec home and site ma nager's residence. In this early stage of development, approximately 40 acres will suffice. The zon ing should be R1 (1unit/acre). This new community design will give you the avenu e to maximize exposure by showcasing a new product, not just referring to the ho mes but showcasing a new community one that will produce and give back. This new subdivision or product as a whole will establish the new norm or standard, so i n the future all other developments will have to follow this lead this, as you k now, is known as market leadership. In essence, you will create a paradigm shift. This means you have to radically cha nge the way people think about a particular subject, in this case, you have to c hange the way people would view, think or decide how they purchase a home or the type of home or in what type of community. So, your subdivision has to pave the way for a new style of community not just a new style of home but a new type of community. The community is the key to your success with this project. Imagine being able t o market a community that makes neighbors cooperate or work together for common community benefits whether by sharing, selling or giving some product away. So n ow, imagine the life style of the 1800's or the early 1900's but with all of the modern conveniences. Hence your project will be a new prototype community where the homes are as clos e to 100% green / sustainable as possible and actually become part of a complex eco-system; getting and giving back to the land living in a symbiotic relationsh ip with the whole subdivision. Not only will the home be self-sufficient but the whole subdivision will produce a bountiful harvest of vegetables for the commun ity. Based on quantities, the community will share in the harvest or they can se ll a percentage to local restaurants or give some away to charity. It all establ ishes a relationship that starts with the land, than to the home, from the home to the land and finally to the community.

So, the question is; how much can one simple acre of land produce? It is estimat ed by some experts that in one acre you can grow 42,000 pounds of strawberries, 25400 pounds of potatoes or 11,000 pounds of iceberg lettuce. According to Iowa farming experts one acre can produce 182 bushels of corn. Many variations exist based upon other crops, irrigation, the nature of the soil and management. Now i magine how much can be produced in approximately 20 acres of land. The potential for a community is enormous. If you still think this is not possible, look what a close associate of mine has accomplished; http://www.fortlauderdalevegetables .com/ As for the on-site manager, he will be responsible for the well management of th e crops, including the fruit and herb trees and shrubbery. He will get a great h ome to live in at no cost. He will have to supplement his income by the manageme nt and sale of the crops. The first year the HOA will pay him a minimal salary b ut in subsequent years, his salary will be directly relational to the amount pro duced and sold. All sales proceeds will go into the community account and out of it, his salary will be based, any excess will be owned by the HOA and dividends can be paid annually to the home owners. Homeowners too, will have a responsibility towards the harvest. These responsibi lities will be detailed in the HOA documents and at closing. An agreement of co operation should be executed. What these responsibilities are, are yet to be det ermined but it should at least include some community harvesting cooperation. I will strive to describe all of the essential elements for you to review. We'll start from the beginning. The homes: The exterior will be of a composite permanent stay-in-place concrete panel syste m. The insulating properties are the highest in the market both infiltration as well as ex-filtration. Well above R60. Flame resistant up to 1200 degrees open f lame, water resistant, mold resistant, withstands winds between 250 to 400 mph, strengths of 3,000 to 6,000 psi. A solar system will produce 125% of the electrical power needed. The system will be set up as net-metering. This means during peak periods of production, the home s will generate power and sell it to the power company. But other times you buy power. This should allow for a surplus or credit going to each individual home. The credit should make up for the cost of alternate power source propane. That way on a annual basis, the cost to operate the home should near ZERO or as close as we can get. Water will be pumped from a aquifer by a 1 to 3 hp pump. The water will go throu gh a filter that will sterilize and treat the water and make it potable. The wastewater from the sinks, tubs, showers(also known as greywater excluding t oilets, kitchen sink and dishwasher) and washing machine will be recycled throug h greywater filters. The newly treated water will be cycled up to the toilets an d used for flushing. The excess greywater will be used in the irrigation of the plants surrounding the home. The toilets will be composting toilets. This is a closed vacuum flush system tha t takes all of the waste or blackwater to a small incinerator that turns the was te into ashes that can be used as fertilizer. The sink and dishwasher will have it's own closed system that will take this bla ckwater into a holding tank and periodically suctioned into it's own small incin erator. Again the ashes can be periodically taken and used as fertilizer. This s terilizer will use the alternate power source propane. The homes will not have in-sinkerators. The homes will follow the composting sug

gestions. Basically all bio-degradable food stuff (the stuff we usually put down the disposal) will go into a composting bin outside, including peels and fruit cores, etc. The heating system will be in-floor radiant heating, no forced air system with a inefficient heating strip drawing power. The system will operate using a boiler to heat the liquid used in the floor. The boiler is the most efficient in the m arket which operates from the alternate power source propane. This system will a lso manage the hotwater needs for the whole house. The radiant system will have zones of temperature control. In addition, we will install a snow melting system in the driveway, walks ad patio area depending geographical location. Additionally, the stove and dryer will operate from propane. The rest of the app liances will be energy star rated. The air conditioning will be reduced by approximately half in size as usually wo uld be installed. System is the Maytag IQ utilizing a 23 seer or equal. This sys tem too, will be able to control temperature in each room or zone. The system wi ll not have the additional draw of the heat strip. All of the lighting will be fluorescent or similar in power savings. The home wi ll be designed with natural insulated light tubes. This will allow for natural l ight to wash the interior portions of the home during the day with no need to us e power. The windows, doors and large glass doors will be double and triple pane for high coefficient energy star values.

The interior finishes will include reclaimed or recycled materials, cork or bamb oo. The paint will have no VOC. The exterior finish will be Hardy Plank and trim. In addition some other hard ma terials will be used in a limited amount, such as; stone and brick. The site: Surrounding the home, small herbs and fruit bushes will be used, such as; Rosema ry, Sage, Lavender and berries. In the first outer ring, which is still in close proximity to the home, fruit tr ees will be used, such as; Apples, Cherries, Blackberries, Chokeberries and Lych ee, Kiwi, Persimmon and a wide assortment of citrus fruit, in warmer climates. In each lot, approximately one (1) acre will be dedicated to some seasonal rotat ional crop or vegetables, such as; tomatoes, eggplant, , lettuce, green beans, p eas, onions, cucumbers, garlic or chives, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Opt ional crops to explore are; corn, watermelon and other vine plants. Urban Farmin g at its best; this is already well established. The vegetables can be determined more at length in connection with the landscape expert.

Each lot shares in the food production for the community. The amounts harvested will determine the placement of the excess; preferable would be to sell it to lo cal restaurants for small fees to offset the operational costs of the subdivisio n and a salary for the on-site manager. The site has to be analyzed carefully to see if a lake is possible. Those lots o n the lake are premium lots and additional fees can be gained. The lake can serv e as a reservoir for crop irrigation. Also the lake can be stocked with a good s pecies of fish and complimentary flora and fauna for harvesting.

This is by far, not a complete design and marketing plan but it gives you a bett er scope and understanding of how to develop the balance of the project. Which m eans many things can start early; such as finalizing the first model and 2 alter nate models designs and plant selection and sowing. Build the spec home to be used as a sales center. Build the smaller community resident manager's home / Search and hire him as soo n as possible. Address the entry feature, signage and entry boulevard. Finalize the vegetables to be planted. Analyze the lake and if approved construct. Design and print brochures. Decide the upgrades and costs. The following article shows a trend in consumer attitudes. Although this article addresses only the solar side of green/sustainable construction, it does prove th at conservation is making its way into the consciousness of the typical buyers from 2% in 2005 to 17% in 2011 and 61% are willing to pay more. Now, imagine taking this one simple green idea one step further. Yes, it's true that it will cost more to develop (approximately 7% to 15%, not including incent ives) and yes it will change your list of approved subs and suppliers. But in li ght of the growing energy crisis and downturn economy that is having a hard time rebounding from a deep recession, this is the smartest and most responsible way to develop. In regards to costs; we need to keep in mind that most states and the Federal Go vernment offer a variety of incentives; from tax credits to reimbursements. In s ome states between the tax credits and reimbursements equal 50% or more. And tha t does not include the savings month to month. http://www.inman.com/news/2012/03/5/green-homes-give-back-grid