ENERGY EFFICIENT HOUSES ARE ATTACHED

Attached Housing

In order to be able to walk to most day-to-day destinations, homes must be attached, meaning they share side walls. Typically, what is called medium density housing provides for about 30 homes per acre (75/h). This design also adds to energy efficiency as two walls are not exposed to the air. With such a design, it becomes important to have the buildings wide and shallow (rather than narrow and deep) so the rooms are well-lit.

The walls between homes will be thick and fully sound absorbing. This is a characteristic of the variable density aggregate that will be used as the VillageTown bulk material. Homes will be of different heights, with different roof lines, different textures and ornament. Some may protrude out, others may be set back.

When one builds attached buildings that are set directly on the streets, details become more important. In the photo above, the middle floor has full length windows and a balcony that enables walking from one room to another outside. With the doors open, this provides for interaction with life outside. With the shutters closed, it provides privacy while having ventilation and light. In this design, the upper floor is for sleeping, and the middle floor is for living. The bottom floor is most likely for work space, and can provide passive income for the home owner, if not used by the resident for their business.

In the Italian village below, there are two levels of activity, as the ground floor is for shops and cafes, but above it the homes have a front yard, complete with plants, umbrellas and outdoor furniture. The Italian buildings are relatively plain, with little ornament attached. In contrast the Mallorcan building in the photo above has more detail to it. Using Variable Density Aggregate, these details can be made inexpensively, with some flatter ornament shaped when the form is poured, and extending ornament attached afterwards.

We do recommend putting a call out to ornamental blacksmiths to make beautiful balcony metal balustrades that add so much to the dress of a building.

While in the villages, most buildings will be attached, there will be some exceptions, including public buildings where the architectural statement requires the building stand alone, and in the Town Center where larger buildings may stand alone.

Each building in the Eastern Missouri Village Town can be unique in size and style, but consistent with each village's motif or culture.  The construction will be the same method, but each village will have a different feel to it.  This will be a great place to live.  Join us!