Eco Town Homes

At a time when the world witnessed the turn of the century where many expect that flying cars, smart houses, and post-modern architecture will come into popular form, the future suddenly turned back to log houses, green roads, and old-fashioned material.  What is pleasantly surprising is that the trend toward these designs is met with glee.  It is hard not to be excited with the thought that people are going back to the beauty of eco-villages.

Eco-town homes is a new design philosophy coming from man’s value of the environment and its fit with modernity.  The purpose behind the design is to bring modern living and aesthetics to green homes in a way that gives residents a peculiar affection to their living space.  From the bulky and rudimentary estate towns without identity, eco-town homes are closely built together around a circular road converging into a communal green.

Of course, eco-town designs are not just aesthetic excuses since a lot of thought has gone into building homes that will set a standard for other environmentally friendly houses.  The designers of eco-villages such as Bob Tomlinson, designer of an eco-village in Shropshire, will tell you that eco-thinking should not be isolated with solar panels and windmills in your chimney.  What you think is what you do.  Thus, eco-living is more of a lifestyle that starts from each detail of your home with all the wood, concrete-riddled designs, and cycle parks.  Thus in perception and practice, you are doing your part in saving the environment and building a healthy lifestyle.  Especially if you consider the fact that the concrete industry accounts for five percent of total carbon emissions.

Eco-town homes push for community over luxury living.  The practice of real estate through the years sadly discounts the value of a healthy community to the living experience of its residents.  With large estate houses come large spaces that divide each home, and grid-like home plots that seem to put the houses in line and in order.  Meanwhile, eco-town homes encourage interaction - splicing some features of convenient living while putting houses in close proximity with each other. 

Bob Tomlinson emphasizes the design ethos of a “living village.”  First, an eco-community should have only ten to twelve households while the larger community should have only forty to seventy households.  The home designs must also be flexible - able to accommodate a full range of households and all types of people.  The front doors of each eco-home should face one another.  This feature ensures that everybody in the community is welcome to come in.  At the same time, do not bother bringing a car in since you cannot park your car through these houses.  Bring your cycles instead.

Aside from the energy-efficient designs and the purpose of community that an eco-town brings, these houses are built to invite you to stay for the rest of your lifetime and for the next generation of your family.  This is in contrast to traditional modern estates with a seven year life cycle.  Truly, eco-homes are built to last and for families to build a healthy life.