5. August 2024
Living together in the cycle of nature and resources
Wolfgang Maus (not in the picture) has an idea and has had a whole host of fellow enthusiasts since he went public with his idea. Around 30 people have been meeting regularly for several months to turn the vision into reality. At its core, it is about living for the common good, but the idea involves much more: more nature, more minimalism, more sustainability, more togetherness. The idea has now grown into an initiative and has found a temporary home at the H. Looschelders Social and Ecological Foundation.
Tiny house estate
Specifically, small buildings such as tiny houses, log cabins or mobile homes are to be built on 4,000 – 5,000 m² of leased land on plots of 150 – 300 m². There are also plans to build centrally located communal facilities such as a garden, workshop, kitchen, playground and more. The initiative immediately clears up a myth: “We are not setting up a flat share! The tiny houses offer individual retreats. Everyone has their own shower and toilet, perhaps even a small kitchenette.”
However, individual living space and communal areas should only take up half of the space, with the other half needed for compensation areas. It is already clear here that the EcoParkKleve concept is based on the three pillars of sustainability. It is ecologically orientated, socially and economically.
Minimising the ecological footprint
The area to be built on is intended to be sealed as little as possible. Instead, rainwater should be allowed to seep away over a large area. A largely independent supply of solar energy is planned. The use of composting toilets and the installation of a reed bed sewage treatment plant are also being discussed.
The compensation area is to be planted with native trees and shrubs and thus contribute to a better climate. A welcoming side effect is that the fruit grown in this way will also make a healthy contribution to the residents’ diet.
Inclusion, equity & community
In the application for the Klever Birne 2024 competition, Wolfgang Maus writes: “More and more people are living in single households, but they definitely have a need for more companionship.” And another thought: “More and more older people who live alone in housing that has become too big can ensure a juster distribution of living space by moving into a tiny house.”
EcoParkKleve is intended to become a multi-generational housing project, even if people from the second half of life have so far been the ones involved in the initiative. They explicitly want to reach younger people, families, people with and without disabilities. The idea of integration is very important to Wolfang Maus. He would also like to include migrants and homeless people in the project. This is why the initiative is also considering renting out tiny houses in addition to home ownership.
The estate is to be built on land leased for 25 to 30 years. “We don’t want anything for eternity,” emphasises Herbert Looschelders, who is representing the initiative with some like-minded people at the first of the two workshops for the Klever Birne 2024 finalists. “Housing and living situations are in a constant state of flux and needs are changing. We don’t yet know how we will live in a few decades’ time.”
Repairs before new purchases
The small-scale plot layout and living in a small space in a tiny house creates affordable living space. A reduction in living space is also possible because various rooms and equipment can be used communally, just think of hedge trimmers, lawnmowers or even the vehicle fleet. The economic way of life also involves less consumption and instead more supplementing the gifts and skills of the residents. Skilled hands can fix what is bought new elsewhere. Reuse promotes the sustainable and frugal use of resources.
What are the next steps?
The members of the initiative have one goal in mind: the project should be implemented by the time of the 2029 Landesgartenschau in Kleve and serve as a beacon. The decisive factor is the provision of a suitable plot of land. In the meantime, teams are working on various topics such as financing, dialogue with similar residential projects, cooperation with initiatives and institutions such as Essbares Kleverland e.V. and Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, as well as the development of standards for the residential units.
The Klever Birne prize money is to be used for practical implementation and advice from experts from the EcoParkKleve project.
Die Idee finde ich gut!