Community Research

Jasmine B.

          The Arconsanti Project

The Arconsanti Project, like most projects, has its pros and cons.  One of the pros include, being able to live in a self-sustaining environment. People living there do not need anything! However, the people living there are not around anybody! The Arconsanti Project is located in the mountains of Arizona, and because it is self-sustaining, people are able to provide for themselves. However, because they are self-sustaining and located in the middle of nowhere, people living in the Arconsanti Project do not have to go outside of their little environment. This then limits that people living in the Arconsanti Project on the amount of time that they can go out and about. Even though this place has many pros, I would not like to live in the Arconsanti Place. It would be difficult for me because I am a social butterfly and I enjoy getting to meet new people.

The Arconsanti Project also has an interesting architecture. This could both turn people off as well as intrigue them with the project. The architecture is curved. Most of the building look either likes semi-circles or waves. Many people do not enjoy this, they like “normal” buildings or, on the other hand, they fall in love with the uniqueness of the architecture. The Arconsanti Project, like all projects has its pros and cons.

Bed Zed

Bed Zed is an innovative, zero-energy, sustainable housing on a multi-purposeful scale. Bed Zed is one of the projects that are trying to develop a better way of living without the damage to our environment. Bed Zed has an interesting take on transportation. They encourage alternatives to car use. They promote walking, cycling, carpooling, and the use of public transport. Bed Zed hopes to be able to reduce 50 percent of fossil-fuel consumption of family vehicles within the next ten years. They also have the first “pedestrian first” policy in the United Kingdom. The “pedestrian first” policy includes Bed Zed communities to have the following: good lighting on the roads, drop curbs for stroller and wheelchairs, and a road layout that keeps vehicles to walking speed.

I believe that I would enjoy living in this community because it seems laid back. Everyone in the community knows each other. Bed Zed is also located near the city so the people living there can commute back and forth on a daily basis. This is an ideal place for me to live.

Harvard Communities

Harvard Communities are located in Denver Colorado. They have been developing energy efficient ways to build homes since 1992. They develop cutting edge architectural design with unmatched energy efficiency and green building principles. Harvard Communities like to call their technique “the confluence of style and substance.” They also inspire designs to satisfy the creativity of each and everyone’s brain, as well as those who care about the environment. They do this by building energy-efficient homes that cut the costs of their resident’s utility bills. Their buildings are also designed to meet the needs of their customers. They allow the owners to choose whatever they would like for their home with an expression of their own personal style as well as personal values. Harvard Communities care about their environment as well as the people moving into them.

This would be an ideal neighborhood for me to live in. It is located in the heart of the city. It also does not look like an energy efficient home. Harvard Communities do a marvelous job at making it an ideal place to live!