Berea College Ecovillage :: Communities Directory

Formed: 2001 Established: 2003

This page last updated:12/9/2012

Berea College Ecovillage

Berea, Kentucky,

United States

Berea College Ecovillage is an ecologically-designed residential and learning complex for Berea College students who are married or are single parents.

In addition to 50 townhouse apartments and a state-of-the-art child development and daycare center, the complex includes a commons house, a Sustainability and Environmental Studies (SENS) demonstration house, and landscaping features such as vegetable gardens, fruit trees, and a permaculture food forest.

The Ecovillage uses 50% less energy and water than conventional residences of this type in this region. Roughly 50% of the waste stream is diverted to recycling, reuse or composting.

The ecovillage incorporates a wide range of "green design" elements including construction with SIPS panels, ground-based heat pumps for space heating and cooling, rooftop capture of rainwater for irrigation, passive solar gain, and the use of clotheslines.

The SENS House is a net producer of electricity, operates totally on rain water, uses solar water heating, and has no central heating or cooling. Greywater is treated by an ecological machine and used to irrigate crops in an attached greenhouse. The adjacent aquaponics facility raises catfish, tilapia, and vegetables in a recirculating system that integrates aquaculture and hydroponics.

Website: http://www.berea.edu/sens/ecovillage/

Contact:

Richard Olson
CPO 1921
Berea, Kentucky 40404 United States
Phone: 859-985-3593

Links:

Berea College Ecovillage

Berea College

SENS House

Community location is placed at the center of the zip/postal code, city/state, or city/country (not based on street addresses)

This page last updated:12/9/2012

Visitors Accepted

(We offer tours of the Ecovillage.)

Visitor Process: Just contact us as far in advance as possible.

Statement of Housing Non-discrimination:

Our community does not discriminate in regards to housing based on race/color, national origin, religion, sex/gender, family status (i.e. having children, not having children, or being pregnant), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, ancestry, source of income, age, creed, personal appearance, political affiliation, HIV infection, military/veteran status, unfavorable military discharge, gender identity or expression, receiving public assistance, or being the victim of domestic abuse.

Comment: Only Berea College students, married and/or with children, live in the ecovillage.

Population Members(adults and children): 120 Non-member Residents: 0 (The ecovillage is student housing.) Open to new members: Yes (Must be Berea College students or spouse of a BC student.)	Government Decision Making: By a group of elders or other leaders (BC is responsible for administration of the Ecovillage.) Identified Leader: Yes (A staff member lives on site.) Leadership Core Group: Yes (A committee of faculty and staff oversees ecovillage operations.)	Labor and Money Financial Style: Members have independent finances Labor Contribution: Expected (All BC students are required to participate in the College's Labor Program, which comes out to 140 hrs/semester.) Join Fee: No Regular Fees: No
Land and Buildings Small Town Area: 5 acres (2.0 hectares) Land Owned By: Another form of Non-profit (Berea College) Number of Residences: 50 (Townhouse apartments, many of the units share walls.) Cohousing: No	Food, etc. Percentage of Food Grown: 1-5% Share Community Meals: 1-3 times/month Dietary Choice or Restrictions: Diet is up to each individual Dietary Practice: Omnivorous Tobacco Use: Prohibited	Social Factors Common Spiritual Practices: No

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Become an Editor Current editor(s): bcecovillage, olsonr

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