The project
Vereniging Aardehuis Oost-Nederland consists of a core project and a number of secondary and satellite projects. Here below they are further elaborated and explained.
Core Project
The project consists of a village of 23 earthships. Twenty of these will be built and paid for by individual households. The other three are to be built by the association for rental accommodation in collaboration with Housing Corporation Salland. In this way we can realize our goal of making ecologically conscious living accessible to all budgets.
Subprojects
For the visitors there will be a visitor’s center which is to be built as an earthship. For the residents we also build a community centre, permaculture gardens and a playground for children, which includes small animals. The subprojects will be - if feasible - operated on a non-profit basis.
Visitor’s center
The visitor’s Center is our link to the world at large. From here we would like to share our knowledge of how to build and live in a sustainable manner. To this end, we intend too offer regular lectures and various kinds of educational courses as well as a permanent exhibition and guided tours.
The Center also offers visitors a vibrant location for additional activities such as various therapeutic modalities as well as a large room which can accommodate various kinds of group activities. The Visitor’s center can also be rented by people from outside of the project and will also serve as community center for the surrounding neighborhoods in Olst. It will have (small-scale) overnight accommodation. Finally, the visitor’s center will also house a teashop that will also have local produce on sale.
The visitor’s center will be located in the northernmost part of the project. In connection with our own privacy it is intended that visitors will be able to completely satisfy their curiosity as to the workings of the project via the visitor’s center.
The visitor’s center will be financially independent from the rest of the project. We intend to design and build the visitor’s center fully from externally donated funds with grants. Any remaining shortfalls and expenses will be funded from the operation of the building.
Community center
The community center will serve as a center point for the community. Birthday celebrations, meetings, eating together and the organization of other common activities such as film and dance evenings, coffee mornings etc. can all take place in this location. There will be a large bookcase in which we share books and magazines, a hobby room, a communal laundry with a number of common washing machines, a play area where children can play and a workshop. There will be space for a group of home-schooling parents and children. A terrace and fire-place will be adjacent to the community center.
Permaculture
The aim of permaculture is to create a collaborative and harmonious relationship between man and his natural surroundings. It is a set of design principles whereby human activity, housing, the growing of plants and caring for animals are considered within the light of their synergistic relationships. This means in practice that edible vegetables are grown in the local environment and that animals are taken into consideration as to their place and supportive roles. Our community is to be designed with these principles in mind.
This implies that we aim to provide a part of our own food supply. It is our intention to maximize our independence in this area as far as possible and therefore consider it a priority to be concerned with our own food cultivation and provision.
Besides food being grown between the houses in the project, food cultivation will be extended to the area of land between the project and the railway. In consultations with the local government, agreements are to be made whereby we can take over this area and use it for the expanded production of food.
Playground
Sturdy trunks linked together, a thick rope to swing from, wicker huts, a water pump with sand around it… Climbing, balancing, swinging children playing in the mud and in water... in other words, a natural playground that invites children to be adventurous and to play together. This is the kind of play area we have in mind for our children. Furthermore, we would like to include a clay oven for baking pizzas or a fire.
Animals
Within the principles of permaculture animals also have their place. Animals provide food and eat left-over food and hence are part of the biological life-cycle. Animals teach us to care for each other and to feel affinity for all life forms We would like to include a (small) number of animals such as goats, sheep, chickens and bees. The Tamworth pig Daan is already part of our association.
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