Spotlight on sustainability: Building on a strong foundation
At Tākaka Cohousing, our mission has always been to create a thriving, sustainable community in harmony with the whenua, land. As we prepare to embark on the next phase of development, we wanted to reflect on the successes of the first neighbourhood and look at what to carry through to the next phase. Through efficient design, sustainable construction, and community-driven lifestyles, we aim to build an ecosystem that benefits both the people who live here and the natural environment.
Residents Tane Woodland and Elise Beer planting fruit trees, creating a sustainable future.
Neighbourhood 1: The Foundation
In the first cohousing neighbourhood, we made significant strides in sustainable living.
Cohousing as a model is itself sustainable, in that it helps to create a rich web of life for the residents, fostering greater connection and improving wellbeing and quality of life. The community is designed with engaging, productive landscapes and walkable areas that encourage connection, while thoughtfully integrated spaces help to nurture relationships. By sharing resources like tools, equipment, and facilities, an efficient system is created that provides more equality and support to residents.
One of the other key achievements was the creation of a car-free neighbourhood, where residents could move freely between homes without the intrusion of vehicles. We centralised car parking, reducing the need for individual driveways and minimising paved surfaces, meaning less stormwater runoff. This not only preserved green space but fostered a greater sense of community by encouraging more interaction between neighbours. Another key factor is that we selected a site close to town, making walking and cycling a viable transport mode, reducing the need for driving.
Bright, warm and inviting: the 3-bed duplex house.
The homes themselves are of high quality. We designed efficient homes using non-toxic paint and timber, and utilised hempcrete in the Common House. We created higher insulation values by using wool insulation and thicker walls, and concrete floors that create more thermal mass to reduce the need for heating, taking learnings from passive house design. We’ve shown that we prioritise the health of the whānau living in our homes. At a foundational level, building homes that are healthy to live in because they are warm, dry and well insulated, that also make efficient use of resources, is what makes a difference in sustainability.
Providing shared land within each neighbourhood for communal growing further strengthens community bonds.
The Common House - a beautifully crafted building for Neighbourhood 1 to connect and thrive in.
The Common House serves as another pillar of sustainability. This incredible structure was built with traditional timber framing, using untreated, non-toxic and sustainably-sourced wood milled on site, keeping transport and carbon footprint to a minimum. The use of hemp has been another key factor in its sustainability. All the walls are made of hempcrete panels; hemp is a regenerative crop that creates a breathable, natural product with high insulation values. Hemp locks in carbon dioxide and sequesters it for 50 years, making it a wonderful product to use. The Common House offers shared laundry facilities, a meeting space, commercial kitchen, extra storage, and creates “bump” spaces where residents can connect organically.
Intergenerational mahi: working together to create hempcrete walls in the Common House.
Plans also include parkland connecting the completed neighbourhoods, offering recreation areas for residents and the wider community, while also enhancing the local ecosystem through further native tree plantings. While a traditional housing development could create 100 homes on this land, we are showing that by creating close-knit neighbourhoods without the use of roads, and utilising shared resources and green spaces, we can do the same but are able to preserve 50% of the land as regenerated parkland and green space. This also enables us to acknowledge the Meihana family - whose homestead originally stood on this land - with a public access garden space, the māra.
Neighbourhood 1 is complete and fully occupied. Neighbourhood 2 is underway now.
Neighbourhood 2: Aiming for Greater Sustainability
As we begin Phase 2 and the second cohousing neighbourhood, we’re committed to improving on the first. We’ve engaged with sustainability consultants to look at how we can build better and with greater sustainability. We are also being more proactive in identifying any problematic areas.
One of our goals is to improve the operational efficiency of the homes. In the next neighbourhood, we again aim to deliver high quality homes with lower operation costs, and with more efficient set-up of utilities to reduce costs per person. Additionally, with intended internet and power sharing between cohousing and private lots, there are less costs per household. We are also changing the next Common House design to make it more cost-effective and also complementary to the first neighbourhood’s.
Together, growing more than just trees - growing connections and a brighter future for all.
Energy sustainability remains a priority. In the first neighbourhood, we provided easy options for individual residents to install solar panels, and residents are now exploring a community-based approach to solar energy. For the second neighbourhood, we plan to take a more evidence-based approach to system setup.
Water management is another area where we seek improvement. While the first neighbourhood made strides with non-chlorinated bore water and some rainwater collection, there is room for more extensive swales and rainwater harvesting in the next neighbourhood. We also plan to treat carpark water runoff into swales, further reducing our reliance on underground pipes and plastic tanks.
In terms of transport, we will continue to prioritise walking, biking, and include infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs). The first neighbourhood’s car-free environment was a success, but we aim to enhance it by providing more secure bike storage, and because it will be a smaller neighbourhood, there will be reduced distance from car to house, making for easier living.
Neighbourhood 1 with separate carparking, creating a car-free neighbourhood for residents to enjoy.
Waste Management and Carbon Footprint
During the construction of the second neighbourhood, we are determined to enforce stricter controls during construction to minimise landfill contributions. Our goal is to divert waste away from landfills and increase the reuse of materials.
On the carbon front, the first neighbourhood achieved a reduction in embodied carbon by using timber construction and local contractors and materials where possible. In the second neighbourhood, we are exploring further building opportunities using materials like hempcrete, which sequesters carbon and further reduces the environmental impact of construction. Additionally, we plan to continue our tree-planting efforts as part of New Zealand’s Trees That Count initiative, offsetting any remaining carbon emissions.
Moving Forward
As we transition into the next phase, our overarching goal remains the same: to create a sustainable, resilient community that thrives in harmony with nature. Through continuous evaluation and monitoring, we will ensure that our strategies not only meet today’s needs but also support the generations to come.
