Thanks Russ, informative article, and theres more on the design at www.aldinga-artsecovillage.com.au/ .
For greenfield developments, Aldinga sets a high standard, but most of Austrlia's housing stock is a sorry hodge podge of ecologically illiterate architecture, and we have to adapt current buildings to lower energy use and mixed uses. David Holmgren has a nice paper on this at http://energybulletin.net/5104.html .

Not a long term solution for anything, merely an alternative lifestyle hub.

Best Wishes

Not even an alternative lifestyle, just a re-packaged commercial feel good box houses sub-division.

An eco villages, fits in with the environment, enhancing it rather than restricting it. This subdivision would be sustainable if everyone had grid feeding solar/wind power, fully recycled water/sewage, and didn't blot the landscape. To do that, you have to build in the ground, so the environment can continue around you. A bush fire will wipe out all those plastic houses, unlike earth covered ones. Townhouses, a return to the 19th century with common gardens for the peasants and small boxes piled on top if each other to live in.

Just another bunch of feel good latte sippers boosting their egos in fantasy land. Bet they use plastic wrapped, prepackaged processed foods, wonder what do they do with their rubbish ecologically.

Hey, Alchemist, easy to sneer and be cynical. Do you hsve s better idea for sustainable living? Or is that something you leave to 'latte sippers' (pathetic name calling) while you pursue higher ideals? Your post was shallow and nasty. I think OLO deserves something with a bit more intellectual rigor.

Actually pk, there's many people living ecologically sustainable lifestyles, using technology in a constructive and not destructive way, I'm one. Yes I do seek higher ideals, including doing the least harm to my environment, supporting nature, by utilising technology responsibly to enhance and not destroy it.

This afore mentioned village is no different to other advertised sub-divisions with high promotion and low sustainability. It keeps getting easier as techniques are developed.

Our house is earth covered, uses passive solar heating and cooling, maintains a 22-25deg temp all year round. Wind and sun provides 24v power, thats inverted for the workshop. Our sewage produces methane,heat and compost, water is cycled 3 times before returning to the environment. Lots of our food is grown in an attached glass house, our backup generator (workshop Business) runs on biodiesel, as does our vehicles.

Our hospitality business, was standard box shaped when we took it over and highly inefficient, Now it also operates the same way (not earth covered), we do need to purchase gas for our kitchens and mains power when fully booked. But that will change after next season when we finish installing a grid return solar power system and another wind generator.

In the next two years, we will be growing all our own biofuels. Even our 15.5 motorsailer runs on biodiesel, has solar and wind generation. We use biodegradable paints and oils. We don't use processed packaged foods, nor chemical cleaners as natural products do a much better job. We have very little rubbish, mostly recyclables.

As with religion Pk, I'm not cynical, just realistically and logically practical

That's great, Alchemist. I am genuinely impressed. I will erase your first post on this thread from my memory and replace it with your second. Perhaps you should do an article on this subject yourself for OLO as you seem to know your subject and could enlighten me and others. I can see you are not the shallow cynic that your first post seemed to portray.