Initial ideas on design, organisation, finance
We are at the beginning of exploring what is possible for the tiny home community concept. Some initial ideas:
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Located on a rural or semi-rural property around the hills above Nelson/Richmond, 15 mins drive from Richmond or Nelson - site yet to be found.
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Closed loop energy, water, and waste systems - Each household will need to be equipped for rainwater harvesting, solar power and an incinerating waterless toilet (we are in a Lake Catchment area). With the intention for the design of the greywater systems to function collectively. And the possibility to team with Victoria University’s Sustainable energies department to design a Micro grid mini mart for our solar capacity to operate collectively
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The village ideally is made up of ? Tiny House sites privately owned and ? rental sites. House size is to be a maximum of 12.5 x 3.1 m2. Homes are to built to code, with the option to fix or secure, to make the Resource consent and future insurance straightforward for everyone. The Village ring road and sites will allow for houses to come and go as needed, after all Tiny Houses are transportable
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Each privately owned household’s site size will be relatively equal and the exact layout will be designed when the site is found.
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The entire property will ideally be on a Community Land Trust (non-profit entity that holds land in stewardship for the wider-community). The CLT board would appoint a site management committee who would manage the common ground, common buildings and rental sites. Each resident will pay a reasonable lease for their site as well as for an equal proportion of the common shared land and facilities.
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Common areas include car parking at the front of the property (with each home having its own carport), a ring road, a 10 meter deep native planted border around the perimeter of the property for grey water dispersion, a compost, central network of paths and green ways growing healthy fruit trees, berries, perennials, herbs, and summer veggies.
A meeting house with simple kitchen, meeting/ dining area, loos, a shower and a shared laundry will be in the center of the village with a modest workshop and a clean creative space that could be a rentable treatment room.
The earthworks will be designed to sequester heavy rainfall. While the softer landscaping will create a network of green corridors growing food, shade and beauty. Planted to maximise sunshine into homes and allow for privacy as well as incidental social moments.
CONCEPT PLAN
The draft plan below is a only a general idea--think of it as the ingredients and some of the pieces. It will not be until land is found that we will be able to have a feel for what will shape our partnering with the land… the water hydrology (how water moves in and over the land), weather, geographical and solar aspects, road access, contours and simply what makes for a good design based on permaculture principles.
However for those who need to see a picture, here is the above words in a picture form, kindly created by architect Bobbie Cornell.