Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage

Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage is a precedent-setting, 36-unit passive house level development in rural Maine. The goal of the project was to preserve farmland while demonstrating a smart growth model based on compact development principles coupled with low energy buildings, built at costs comparable to standard residential construction. The architect was responsible for developing the site plan and residential unit designs which seamlessly integrate the community and its infrastructure with the natural beauty of the rural landscape, solar orientation, and panoramic views.

The design process was a close collaboration between the architect and the cohousing group, whose interest was manifold: create a pedestrian-based development, preserve as much of the natural landscape and ecosystem as possible, structure the community to foster social engagement, and build the first Passive House level community in North America. The Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage is a first-of-its-kind development; the highest level of sustainable buildings are combined with place-based community design and farmland preservation. The result is a replicable model for community design that engages people, architecture and the landscape in a sustainable and meaningful way.

The project germinated among a group of individuals forming the original Belfast Cohousing group in 2007, who were interested in demonstrating smart growth and sustainable principles by building a model for future developments. A 170-acre property of prime farmland was on the market, with the threat of being subdivided into standard, sprawling residential lots. The newly-formed group took action, secured the property, and formed an LLC that ultimately purchased 42 acres of the 170 for the community. In order to reinforce the goals of farmland preservation, the buildings were sited on a south-facing, wooded knoll that provides passive solar access for the proposed buildings and preserves the surrounding fields. The proposed development was clustered, resulting in a dense six-acre built footprint, with the remainder of the property set aside for recreation and agricultural use.

Construction began in the fall of 2011 and was completed in the spring of 2015. The Belfast Cohousing and Ecovillage is now fully built and occupied, and is currently the largest Passive House residential development in North America.