Urban Sustainability in the Desert Southwest

1
Urban Sustainability in the Desert Southwest

• Presented by
• Amy Hay
• May 1, 2008
• PHI216

2
My Excursion to Milagro

• What makes Milagro a sustainbable living
  community, and can any of these elements be
  implemented in currently unsustainable housing
  developments?

3
Milagro Mission, Vision, and Values

• Our Mission
• To generate community living which values
  diversity and consensus decision-making in a
  nurturing environment to encourage the
  contribution and personal growth of each
  individual.
• To foster ecological principles which honor the
  sacredness of the earth.
• To demonstrate ecological community living as a
  way of being in harmony with people and the
  earth.
• Our Vision
• People living in community with a focus on
  ecological principles.
• Our Values
• We value integrity, generosity, respect for other
  people, community, the individual, and the
  environment.

4
History

• 1994 - Milagro began with four couples who met
  regularly to develop the vision of a group of
  families living by environmental and community
  principles.
• 1996 - Group began to meet weekly. They formed as
  a non-profit organization, and filed with the
  state of Arizona. They found land and purchased
  our 43-acre site in November.
• 1998 - The Tucson City Council approved the
  development of a community of 28 units with a
  cluster design.
• 2001 - They held a groundbreaking ceremony and
  construction began.
• 2002 - The first member took up residence in
  April.
• 2003 - All 28 homes were occupied in August.

5
What Makes Milagro Sustainable?

• Community Site Plan
• Energy Efficient Homes
• Water Conservation
• Other Green Features

6
Community Site Plan
7
Energy Efficient Homes

• Passive solar design high thermal mass with 16
  adobe walls and concrete floors.
• Insulated, vented double roofs allow hot air to
  rise before penetrating the building. The compact
  shape of units reduce exposure to hot or cold
  outside air, and doors are well sealed.
• Solar panels on every roof provide very hot water
  for most of the year, with an electrical backup
  for cold weather.
• Use a traditional clothesline.
• Residents can spend less than 50 per month on
  power bills!!!

8
Water Conservation

• Rainwater harvesting
• Roofs are designed to collect and direct
  rainwater either to garden areas or to our
  cisterns for storage.
• Wastewater recycling
• All household wastewater is filtered through a
  "wetland" that uses natural plants and bacteria
  to purify the water.
• From there, it is recirculated into our community
  garden areas, providing sub-surface irrigation.
• Water and energy use
• The trees planted in common and private spaces
  help in energy conservation by providing shade
  and by the effect of evapotranspiration, which
  cools the air around the houses.

9
Other Green Features

• Driveway
• Paved their driveways with Stabilizer Solutions'
  StaLok paving material. StaLok is a premixed,
  dustless paving material made of crushed stone
  and engineered non-toxic polymers.
• Parking Area
• Gravelpave2 features a porous, geotextile fabric
  molded directly to a one inch high integrated
  ring and grid system.  It is made of 100
  recycled plastic and is anchored with galvanized
  anchors.
• Footpaths
• Broad footpaths provide the only access to 25 of
  28 homes. Homeowners use wagons or carts to carry
  small loads and groceries. The community shares
  an electric golf cart.
• EM Bokashi
• Use Effective Microorganisms (EM) Bokashi for
  recycling food waste.
• Recycling
• Subscribe to Tucsons citywide recycling system.
  Occasional yard sales, thrift shops and local
  programs such as Freecycle help us reduce what we
  send to the landfill each week.

10
Shared Resources

• Common House
• 3600 square foot hall for meeting or eating.
• library room for reading or small gatherings,
  kids playroom, well-equipped kitchen, storage
  rooms, laundry room and drying yard, large-screen
  TV mostly used for movies.
• Swimming Pool
• Solar heated pool is 40 x 16 feet and no deeper
  than 4 ft. Closed in winter.
• The Workshop
• A large enclosed garage serves as a tool store
  and work area for carpentry and maintenance
  projects.

11
Home For Sale

• 1763 sq ft adobe home with solar hot water built
  in 2001.
• 2-level home
• Downstairs has living/dining room, kitchen, two
  bedrooms and a full bath (tub with shower)
• Upstairs includes a bedroom with large walk-in
  closet and balcony, a loft overlooking living
  area, and bath (shower bath).
• Patios and balcony overlook desert views.  Back
  yard landscaped with native  desert  plants, and
  deep soil raised beds and drip irrigation for
  vegetable, herb, and/or flower gardening.
• Property taxes in 2006 2,944
• HOA fee 141/month.
• Asking price 349,500.

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Conclusion

• Some sustainable elements can be implemented in
  current housing developments
• Harvesting Rainwater and Grey Water
• With 50-80 of residential wastewater being
  greywater , its potential reuse represents the
  largest potential source of water savings that a
  residence or business can achieve.
• Greywater Conservation Tax Credit for the
  installation of a greywater conservation system.
• Xeriscape
• Line Dry Clothes
• Some Solar Energy

13
Works Cited

• http//www.milagrocohousing.org