Oct 26 2007
A new sustainable village is under construction in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Oshara Village not only reduces the creation of greenhouse gasses, but is designed to prosper in a world of climate change. Alan Hoffman, an associate broker with Prudential Santa Fe is the listing agent and developer of Oshara Village, just north of the Santa Fe Community College. Designed to be less vulnerable to wild fires and surging energy prices, Oshara is less susceptible to drought in that it has its own water reclamation plant and dramatically reduces residents' dependence on the energy grid as energy markets become more unstable.
Built around a central Plaza, Oshara will offer homes within walking distance of shopping, working and schools. This mixed use design can drastically reduce the energy and time expended driving especially for those that work in the village. At 470 acres, Oshara will eventually have more than 750 homes and space for businesses and employment with over 1,000,000 square feet of commercial buildings approved.
Complete with parks, shops, restaurants and civic components Oshara provides a high quality of life within a walkable community served by the Santa Fe bus system and the facilities of the near by College. More than 35 homes are completed or under construction featuring exceptional architecture, built by select local craftsman and are priced from $329,000 to $700,000. Sustainability features include super insulation, Energy Star appliances, compact florescent lighting and solar domestic hot water. All the water is reclaimed and reused for all irrigation and for toilet flushing in the commercial areas. Between off-the-shelf energy efficiency and reduced driving as a result of the mixed use design, a resident in Oshara can reduce energy use by more than half.
At this time an exhibit of outdoor sculpture adorns the completed Oshara Plaza and the first residents are moving into their new homes this month. For more information on Oshara Village and an informative 10 minute video called "The Oshara Model, Sustainability for Main Stream America," go to http://www.OsharaVillage.com