The community’s motto is “living lightly on the land,” and it will run on mainly wind and solar power, utilize rainwater as well as greywater treatment, and include a number of environmentally-friendly features such as a communal greenhouse, recycling and composting programs and a low-impact site plan.

The project is the brainchild of a group of ecologically-minded Calgarians who were originally brought together by their common interest in eco-friendly housing. It has been a long road—with hurdles such as city approval and locating an appropriate piece of land slowing the process considerably—but the EQuilibrium demonstration home (which will become Echo Haven development manager Dave Spencer’s family home) will be built in 2007, and the rest of the community is expected to be approved and under construction within the next year or two.

“One of our goals was to say, ‘Ok, if we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right and show people that there is an alternative,’ ” says Spencer. “At least this is an option for people; in Calgary you can’t just buy a piece of land and build what you want.”

Spencer and his colleagues hope to have two or more builders with experience in green housing available to buyers, though buyers will be able to choose another builder if they want to. Each Echo Haven home will be unique, but all will be designed to maximize the natural assets of the land and exposure in order to make the homes as efficient as possible. The homes will also include features such as low-e windows, high-efficiency appliances, superior insulation, local and recycled building materials and composting toilets.

The 25 lots at Echo Haven range from sloped, for development of one-and-a-half storeys with full walkouts, to flat. Some feature views of the mountains or the city, while others are nestled in the woods or overlook the wetlands, both of which will be retained.

“Every time I go out there, there is a sigh when I have to leave, because I’m becoming really connected to this piece of land,” says Spencer, who currently lives in the downtown core, adding he loves the quiet, natural setting with its native plants and birds.

The developers of Echo Haven expect most of the homes to fall within the 1,200- to 2,000- square-foot range.

Spencer explains that while the highly efficient homes of Echo Haven will cost more to build than other new homes, the payout of the efficiency will only be a few years.

“I might spend a bit more on my home to make it more energy efficient, but to me it’s a green investment—it’s an investment I can control by turning down the thermostat.”

The Echo Haven EQuilibrium House will be constructed this year and open to the public for six months after completion. NL 

For more information on Echo Haven, check http://www.echohaven.ca.

Information on the CMHC EQuilibrium Housing initiative can be found at http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca under the Housing Industry Professionals and Community Groups link.