Song

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The second cohousing neighborhood at EcoVillage is known as SONG (from SecOnd Neighborhood Group) and completed construction of its 30 homes (15 duplexes) in 2004, and its Common House in 2006. All SONG homes have achieved EnergyStar certification.

The site, planned with the help of permaculture consultant Dave Jacke, has long views to the south, a sheltering woodland to the north, Coy Glen Nature Preserve to the west, and the FROG neighborhood to the east.

Self-development model
SONG used a self-development model in its construction phase and its construction included a significant amount of resident "sweat equity" and love. Because the homes were customized to the individual families' interests and budgets, a variety of green building approaches were employed in SONG. These include passive solar design, photovoltaics, solar hot water, high-efficiency condensing gas boilers, Eco-Block foundations, Durisol foundations, Structural Insulated Panels, super-insulated roofs, several types of high-performance windows, straw bale insulation, rainwater collection, composting toilets, drain heat recovery, salvaged materials, and more.

 Straw bale interior
song-community-garden-work-partyweb Our Community
SONG has 30 homes with 55 adults and 30 children. Ages range from 1-yr-olds to 65. All homes are owner-occupied, with a number of homes offering rooms for rent. We are a diverse community in terms of religion, diet, and gender choices, and some of us came to live in SONG from as far away as Brazil, Romania, Vietnam and England. Our neighborhood has both the smallest and largest home in EcoVillage. Our Landscape Committee has been busy planting trees, shrubs and perennials since our completion in 2003, and we are eagerly awaiting their establishment into full-size trees and plants to give our neighborhood a more homey, settled feeling, like FRoG. We have many keen gardeners in the neighborhood and a thriving Common House Kitchen Garden as well as a Community Garden.


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