Up until the demolition of the housing, the developers built golf courses one after another. The amount of land, water and maintenance was unstable. The houses in these projects were intense and expensive, requiring even more resources. Thousands of houses and lots have been designed with a faulty model. Numerous developers and builders out of business. The remaining developers have since been looking for a new paradigm.
In the industrial age, Americans fled their farms to work in cities. After World War II, the suburban movement led to a mass exodus from the cities to the suburbs in search of space. The problems associated with sustainability have led to two recent trends - urban redevelopment and new urbanism. Urban restructuring has attracted many young couples and empty nests seeking the convenience of city life. The developers of new urbanism tried to create a feeling of a city in the suburbs with varying degrees of success.
A possible counter-trend towards new urbanism is new growth. The Americans lost all contact with their food chain and the land. Reconnection to land combined with sustainable development and green building really attracts large segments of the US population. Although these developments occupy large tracts of land, dedication to agriculture, walking trails, parks and other outdoor activities are of paramount importance.
In Atlanta, Georgia, there are two good examples of the New Village. Serenbe, south of Atlanta, centers are developing around a 25-acre working farm and an old farmhouse turned into a bed and breakfast. Success was limited by the complexity of his group of developers in the middle of a housing recession. Whatever the difficulties in the housing sector, the huge gains in food and culture have been overshadowed.
The second example is the development of a little more than an hour north of Atlanta in the wine country of Georgia. Being built by Beecham Builders, Montaluce is a community based on a winery, vineyards and lifestyle. Known for high quality construction, Beechams decided to expand its business. A visit to the wine-making country of Georgia inspired them to create a community focused on the winery.
The theme of Tuscan architects goes back to the old philosophy of ancestral homes, but using green building techniques. The most basic of the principles used is size. American homes have become so large that electricity bills can be one of the biggest bills that families have to pay. Beechams envisioned small houses with large entertainment areas and open spaces. This leads to lower construction costs and lower energy consumption.
While size reduction plays a big role, houses in Montaluse are built with deep cavities filled with fiberglass-blown inside and a concrete block with stucco outside. Energy efficiency achieved significantly exceeded existing standards. The roofs are made of baked clay from Italy. The tile has cavities that allow air to cool the roof and can be renewed, since the roof can be crushed and reused, just like a concrete block. The use of Energy Star-rated windows and doors complements an energy-efficient, sustainable and renewable envelope. The latest houses now include even more efficient and renewable equipment - insulated concrete forms (or ICF).
On the development side, more than 60% of the 400 acres were reserved for green spaces and vineyards. But this is not the place where it ended. Thanks to the unique design, Montaluce was able to avoid all insulators, curbs and gutters. The roads also narrowed to add to the village feeling, but also reduced the amount of oil, asphalt.
The final piece of the new “Ruralism” is a reconnection with the ground. The winery produces all its wine from its own vineyards or from other local vineyards. The restaurant inside the wine-making building includes the same local theme, as well as seasonal and fresh dishes. In the fall, the restaurant will include vegetables from the one-acre garden, as well as eggs and pork from the Montaluce farm.
New Ruralism, of course, not for everyone, but future developers can not ignore it. After the current recession is reduced, it will undoubtedly change the behavior of most Americans. Each in its own way, Americans will look introspective and make a decision to reduce our common mark on the planet. Some of them will do this for environmental reasons. Others will do this because they seek to avoid future over-expansion errors. Regardless of the reason why developers will have to adapt or go out of business.
