This is Hidden Creek Eco-Village. It's a little bit different kind of suburban development that attempts to reconcile the demands of single-family home buyers with the problems of sprawling housing developments. First, Hidden Creek is full of communal features, such as neighborhood trails, car parks, front porches, central mailboxes, and shared streetscapes. Plus the homes are densely sited to maintain open, natural spaces. Second, Hidden Creek is surrounded by the natural environment: there's a nature preserve on the north, a creek on the south, and natural grasses and trees everywhere else. To maintain the integrity of the site, homes were placed around existing trees and landscaping. Third, all the homes have been custom-designed for each site to allow views of the surrounding landscape and nature.
It's interesting how nature dominates this development. The community reminds me of a recent article on Boston.com, which explored a psychologist's findings that the human mind needs nature. Nature facilitates better memory, attention, and mood, so maybe Hidden Creek Eco-Village is on to something here. Certainly, the homes are incredible, I mean, check out the Crabapple and Elm Houses below.
Crabapple House - standout features include the bamboo floors, a roof garden, grey water recycling, concrete floors with radiant heating, modern finishes, low-E windows, recycled stone countertops, and incredible views from the inside. ...
Hidden Creek Eco-Village has a total of 11 new homes (and three existing) and won a Green Dot Award in 2008 in the Design + Build category. Some homes are still available for purchase.
Photo credits: Randy Brown Architects.
With Nature at Hidden Creek Eco-Village
Fri, 23 Jan 2009 08:41:01 GMT
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