Setting a New Standard
Green Features of Oshara Village
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Oshara Village, located in the Santa Fe Community College District is gaining attention as one of the nations greenest communities with three sustainable elements already in place and operating. (Google: Obama Future Today)
Oshara Village is designed around a central Plaza and brings together places to live, work, shop, go to school and gather for recreation all within walking distance. This type of mixed-use urban design is known to reduce the number of miles driven and provide the residents more exercise and free time. Oshara is approved for over a million square feet of employment and office space to maximize the number of residents that can walk to work. Oshara is also on the Santa Fe Trails Bus line making it possible to live without a car for those who choose to.
Secondly, Oshara Village has completed a state of the art water reclamation plant that takes all wastewater, both grey and black and reclaims it to an A1 standard for irrigation and commercial uses and the homes are equipped with water conserving appliances and fixtures. These two water conserving elements reduce by over half the potable water used as compared to the County allocation, saving the home owner significant water costs and making Oshara a lush oasis in the desert.
And now, Oshara Village features true “Zero Energy Homes” that reduce energy use by generating electricity with solar panels on the roof saving a resident 100% on their energy bill plus paying a Renewable Energy Credit in a monthly check. Artistic Homes, the largest local builder in New Mexico and the largest builder of energy efficient homes in the United States, is offering beautifully designed homes that feature a private courtyard, hand finished walls, high quality fixtures and start at less than $300,000, a very reasonable price by Santa Fe standards.
As Oshara Village begins design of its second phase, two additional goals come into focus. With the water available from the reclamation plant, agriculture and alternative fuel production are viable. Both commercial greenhouses and Algae oil cultivation are on the horizon as locally owned enterprises providing decentralized food and fuel production. Between walkable mixed-use design, water reclamation, and on site energy generation already in place, Oshara is cutting energy needs by over 60% and with the addition of agriculture and fuel production, Oshara is moving towards self-sufficiency.
The Oshara Model disproves the widely held myth that Green Homes and Green Communities are expensive and out of the reach of working Americans. I believe that the real estate crash of 2007 has forever changed America. For the first time since World War II, Americans are redefining the meaning of “quality of life” to not be about a big house in the suburbs but instead about lowered economic stress, more free time with friends and family and the ability to travel. Oshara Village proves that sustainable communities can be reasonably priced, and with the savings in transportation and energy costs, are a great long-term opportunity for working families.
For information: Alan Hoffman
505 316 0449 village@newvillage.com
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