Our key design principles are:
- Passive Solar Design: We wanted to build dwellings that require minimal/no heating or cooling.
- Think small: Building houses with a small footprint reduces the cost of the homes and its environmental impact and increases the amount of open space available including gardens.
- Transport: It starts with a site selection which encourages more sustainable modes of transport such as walking, cycling, bus and train. We also try to minimize the impact of the car by reducing car access to the property.
- Green space: This is important for natural cooling of our dwellings in summer, habitat for the critters that we share the planet with and space to re-charge our batteries. We want to show that medium density development does not have to result in a concrete jungle.
- Community Interaction: We have tried to create an environment where people are encouraged to interact with their neighbours, and where creativity will be stimulated.