What makes your home a Green or Healthy Home?
Super insulated homes (blown cellulose insulation)
Double (triple optional) glazed windows
Clustered site design with 50+ acres of preserved land
Common well, septic, driveway, parking structure
Bio Mass Central Heating System (planned)
Passive solar design and orientation with lots of day lighting
Solar Photovoltaic Panels either on homes themselves or free-standing on adjacent site
Use of local lumber FSC Certified building materials
Use of salvaged and recycled building materials
Concrete with minimum of 50% fly ash
Applying for and following LEED certification standards
Large community garden spaces
Site management of recycling projects waste stream during construction
Universal design (fully accessible available, otherwise fully visitable)
Community is based on principles of cohousing and sustainable living
Focus on interior air quality:
properly engineered ventilation
low and no voc paints and finishes
toxin free or limited materials wherever possible
designed with consult from reknowned wholistic health professionalsProperty Description
We are building green, sustainable homes includng this one, in an apple orchard in south eastern Vermont. Construction is planned to begin spring/summer 2008 homes are available now for pre sale. full details and floorplans at sweetpondecocommunity.com
This home is clustered with the other 8 in the 3 acre apple orchard, preserving open space reducing the impact on the land. By providing smart, well-built, houses smaller than most new construction we reduce energy use and the burden of maintaining unnecessary spaces. We seek members who value living responsibly within a strong community.
The 1570 square foot home will be clustered with 8 others in a beautiful apple orchard overlooking a large beaver pond. The community will jointly own approximately 83 acres including the Orchard, a field, pond, and over 60 acres of woodland which will be preserved through a conservation or land management program. Homes will be oriented for passive solar and super insulated. They are carefully designed for the location and integrated into the natural flow of the land. They will share one well and septic system and may have a common heat and hot water system as well. Homes are designed with a focus on indoor air quality and will use materials with low/no VOCs and off-gassing. Coinciding with our Vision for Vermont in the Year 2050 our contractors are local and we will use regional and local green materials wherever possible.Neighborhood Description
Sweet Pond Eco Community will be a small eco village based on the principles of cohousing and sustainable development. In the spirit of E.F. Schumaker’s Small is Beautiful we are looking at a new model of sustainable housing. Sprawling development and neighborhoods without community are not sustainable and can not strive. We seek to develop a model for housing that can shelter our growing population, foster strong communities, provide healthy living spaces, and respect our environment, preserving it for future generations. Our community is based on the principles and ideals of cohousing. It is organized as a Common Interest Ownership community. We believe in using materials and our land in a way that considers our impact now and its consequences down the road. full details about neighborhood are at www.sweetpond.infoMarket Area
The home is located in Guilford, VT 10-15 minutes from Brattleboro a regional hub for culture, arts, theatre, and restaurants. We are about 45 minutes from the many theaters and cultural amenities of Northampton and a bit over an hour to Hartford Bradley International Airport. We are 2 hours to Boston and a bit more than 3 to New York City. There is excellent cross country in the area, 6 inexpensive clay tennis courts, and about 40 minutes to top rate skiing at Mount Snow.School District
Guilford Central School (k-8) and Brattleboro Union High SchoolCommunity
Location of Home or Land
Rural
Elevation of Home
Mountain
Air Quality
| Agriculture in Area | yes |
| Industry in Area | no |
| Air Pollution in Area | no |
| Pesticide Free | yes |
| Fragrance Free | yes |
| Cleaned with Green Products | yes |
Interior Environment
| Heating System | Hydronic Floor Heat (radiant) |
| Cooling System | Passive Cooling |
| Ventilation System | Other |
| Whole House Filtration | None |
| Whole House Vacuum | no |
Energy & Water
| Water System | Well |
| Wastewater System | Septic System |
Construction Information
| Exterior Finish | Shingles - Wood |
| Interior Finish | Gypsum Board - Sheet Rock |
| Interior Paint | Low VOC |
| Floor Material | Concrete |
| Roof Material | Asphalt Composition Shingle |
| Window Material | Metal Dual Glazed |
| Insulation Material | Recycled Newsprint |
Garage / Car Port
| Garage / Carport | yes |
| Garage Type | carport_detached |
| Number of Cars | 1 |
