| Greensward Hamlet is the first totally green cohousing community in Maine. It can be described as an Eco-village, an intentional community, or an old-fashioned neighborhood where people live in harmony with each other and their environment. At Greensward Hamlet we are committed to working together to manifest Maine’s tag line: "life as it should be"- looking out for each other, sharing knowledge and resources, reducing the depletion of our natural resources, stabilizing climate change, reversing the effects of global warming, and finding the balance to live in harmony with nature – permaculture at its best! In this effort, the community features the following elements: The Site Layout will maintain the natural contours of the land as much as possible and minimize any ecological disturbance while maximizing the use of solar energy and shared infrastructure. Lot 147 is 29.7 acres, and we will build on less than ten acres, leaving the remaining 20 acres natural, with nature trails. We will relocate plants that need to be removed for road and building construction and use them to create buffers between neighbors when feasible. (We've already started this.) We will shred trees and shrubs that need to be destroyed to use on walking trails and as mulch in the landscape and gardens. Whatever we do not use, we'll give to the Buxton recycling center so it will be available for other residents of Buxton. Our dwellings will be four multi-family buildings with four to six condominiums in each and a community building. Multi-family dwellings significantly minimize the ecological footprint and are more affordable. We are using Universal Design principles so the homes will be friendly and comfortable for people of all ages, heights, sizes, and abilities - Life span homes. Local materials and personnel will be used when available and affordable. We carefully selected a design and building team from southern Maine who understand the unique social, cultural, ecological, and sheltering needs of Mainers and New Englanders. They have designed a community and homes that will be comfortable during Maine’s four distinct seasons.. Because our footprint is so tight, we will be able to share the infrastructure - wells, septic systems, geothermal and solar hot water heat systems, generated electricity, cable or Satellite TV and Internet connections will be shared to the maximum extent possible. This will be a significant cost savings for residents. We are building sustainable homes using ecologically intelligent design and materials to last for many generations. (Concrete, local wood, recycled rubber shingles…) The building envelope with high R values in the walls, ceilings and floors, and high performance triple pane windows to access passive solar heat and light will reduce our costs for heating and lighting. Insulated shades (individual choice) can keep the heat in when the sun goes down. Lighting will come from the sun during the day and LED or compact fluorescent lights in the evenings. Outside lighting will be minimal and solar powered as much as possible. We are committed to using NO FOSSIL FUELS. We will use a radiant floor heat system with passive solar, geothermal or air-to-air pumps, and solar hot water. The common house will be a Net-Zero building with electricity generated with photovoltaic panels and wind power. Homes will be wired for photovoltaic panels and wind turbines, and families can choose to include them in their buying price for a net-zero home, or wait a few years for the prices to go down. We can buy green electricity from CMP. We are committed to using renewable and recycled materials when feasible and balanced with maintaining our commitment to affordability. (bamboo, eucalyptus, natural stone, concrete, cellulose, wool, composite wood, paperstone, ) No toxic substances or materials will be used in the buildings or on the landscape. The homes will be healthy environments inside and out. No VOCs in paints, wood products, carpeting, or other building materials.
We are following green building guidelines recommended by the U.S. Green Building Council; the buildings will be registered with the USGBC’s LEED for Homes program and will meet requirements of the Department of Energy’s Energy Star program. These certifications will insure that all "green features" are authentic and support the continuation of our resources. The building process will be monitored and inspected by third-party certifying agencies from start to finish. We hope to achieve LEED Gold or Platinum Certification. We will have a community organic garden with raised beds, composting bins, and drip irrigation to help achieve our goals of consuming local products, recycling, and conserving. Water conservation will be achieved by using water-efficient showerheads and faucets, dual flush toilets and collecting rainwater for gardening and landscaping. Where irrigation is necessary, we'll use zoned drip irrigation systems. Drugs and tobacco will be prohibited in the common house. Moderate alcohol use will be permitted at common meals and other special community occasions. Individual homes will have a screened porch, private courtyard with herbal/flower gardens, storage, outdoor clothes drying areas. There will be resident and visitor parking spaces and resident garages placed on the periphery to minimize traffic within the hamlet. Electrical outlets will be provided for electric vehicles. Nature trails will be maintained for non-motorized activities such as walking, snowshoeing, and skiing. The trails will be constructed to avoid disturbing the wetlands and ecosystems. We will offer green transportation by organizing car-pooling for commuting to work, shopping trips to town, running errands, and weekly trips to the recycling center. The community will own a pick up truck available to residents for running errands and transporting large items. We hope to eventually have one or two "smart cars" for the community and hope that families can get by with just one vehicle and use the community vehicles when needed. And, of course, we'll encourage bicycling and walking. A fenced dog park will be collaboratively created and maintained by resident dog owners. Landscaping with xeriscape is a way to conserve water and prevent infestations of unwanted, destructive insects. Xeriscape is the practice of landscaping and gardening with local and adaptive plants to effectively create a landscape that needs little supplemental watering. The common and individual greenswards will feature wildflower meadows on the periphery and eco-lawn grass that does not require mowing, thus avoiding noise pollution or use of chemicals. Native, drought resistant plants and trees will be used to provide wind and sun protection as well as buffers for privacy and noise control. Beautiful outdoor gathering spaces will be designed to be welcoming and useable. We hope to have a labyrinth for individual and group walking meditations, seating areas for visiting and relaxing in nature and a fire pit for community picnics and evening gatherings. The Common House will be a place for socialization and community meetings/events and shared meals. The major attractions are a large kitchen and great room with a central fireplace for dining and entertainment. The Common House will also feature a playroom for children, a game room, a community library of shared books, CDs, and DVDs, a community laundry, exercise room, meditation room, some multipurpose rooms for guests and various activities, and extra storage. The large group spaces in the common house will reduce the need for large individual homes, thus reducing the ecological footprint and family expense. There will be space for home offices for those who want to move their service-oriented work to their homes. | 
