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Universal design principles and cohousing, as well as financial need, to encourage green housing project in Oaxaca, Mexico, by aging North America

Alvin Starkman MA, LL.B.

David Hornick at first glance appears to be the most likely candidate is launched in front of urbanization in the state of Oaxaca, one of the poorest states and further south in Mexico, his Spanish is limited to be generous, until early this year had never ventured to this part of the country, which has never designed or built a house, and has lived most of his life in Schenectady, New York and live a life more or less typical, middle class Jewish.

But Hornick had a vision, born from the experiences of other forms of life that made him more qualified than most to continue the project. "One thing about me," he said in his first visit to Oaxaca, "is that once you decide do something, you know that has already been scrutinized – and then there I stop. "

For over three decades has been a doctor Hornick family, diagnose and treat only the aging of Americans … through home visits. He and his wife Roberta, his partner in medical practice have learned that when and how they live is often not usually conducive to aging gracefully and easily from a position of economic security.

The answer, as I have concluded in recent months several of enforcing Hornick, at least for the creation of a plan for the solution is to import some of the characteristics of housing in collaboration (cohousing) and many other key elements as possible, universal design, in a region where problems can be better targeted – Oaxaca … to start. And that's exactly what he has done Hornick.

Collaboration housing

Cohousing communities are usually designed as a series of attached or detached houses along one or more pedestrian walkways or grouped around a courtyard. While the concept originated in Denmark, since the early 1980s has been promoted in the U.S., and since then similar communities that use basic concept has been developed over other countries in the Western world, such as Canada, France, Germany and New Zealand.

Each community has building a larger facility, a "common house", which is the social center of the complex where neighbors can meet, eat, attend activities that are not traditionally required daily (ie, laundry), and even host guests in small apartments. The last two items have implications in terms of minimizing the total costs for each resident, as the normally unoccupied space on a daily individual housing is omitted.

While in the purest of the residents of the models of active participation in the design of your neighborhood, in this case, any members save that effort – Hornick has spent his entire adult life assessment of the needs of Americans and their stages in the change of life. As a result, substantial progress for the project of Oaxaca and progress has been made, and indeed there is a website in place, addressing those interested in pursuing a lifestyle change for the foreseeable future. At present, includes photographs of the two proposed methods of land, plans and architectural drawings of the two models of the house ( http://www.mexicommunity.com .)

Hornick prefer to avoid the terms commonly used as intended or collaboration of housing and cohousing in favor of simply "Barrios" and "communities." The former imports the idea of consensus decision-making, he does not believe is viable. He does think, however, a advice to "resident" (perhaps similar to a condominium board of directors) to help with suggestions for the neighborhood. This indicates that his approach is realistic and its model is viable. The project requires stresses, the acceptance of participants, and work together to promote some basic objectives: energy efficiency, respect for the environment, the use of locally produced "green" materials (construction and otherwise), affordability, and design universal that allows people of all ages to grow and mature well.

Design universal

Universal design (UD) can be defined as the creation of products (including communication systems) and environments (including landscapes), which are usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. It has often been associated only go to the elderly and the sick. And indeed there should be no doubt that in the context of the concept is Oaxaca very attractive to those in its fifty years of age, many ended their careers and embark on a new phase of life, the "retirement." But use project Universal design addresses more – support for a natural progression of functional changes throughout life expectancy, according to Hornick.

So how UD direction of all ages and ability levels, and thus make the project attractive to families at every stage of life? Hornick explains:

"We are all born helpless and short. We can not reach most of the light switches until we are about four years, long after they can stand and walk. improving functional capacity (usually) to our half-year end in adolescence, then begins to decline.

"The light switches can be reduced up to a meter to be reachable by children and people wheelchairs with limited shoulder mobility. Door knobs Round can be replaced with lever handles to suit arthritic hands, but also enable people encumbered with their arms full of groceries to open a door with an elbow for free. Steps can be replaced by ramps, even at the entrance of a house. intensity Lighting can be adjusted to accommodate the vision, which fades with age. showers can be built without the small step up again and again. And there are literally a hundred or more other alternative designs and products available in the market that can be considered, which is not detrimental to any 'normal' functionality or aesthetics of the house. "

Hornick has been consulted on the seniors' apartments adaptation projects which involves the production of prototype design of state of the art of adaptation. The Oaxaca project allows their wealth of knowledge and experience that will be placed in action with a little different direction.

We are in a time when a growing number of individuals and couples in America North are becoming disillusioned with the job until the mind-to place, the less than optimal environments in which I felt obliged to live and raise their families, increasing lack of access to goods and services including medical care, and more recently that job insecurity and declining nest eggs.

The model Oaxaca

On the basis of due diligence Hornick, Oaxaca proved to be a potentially attractive place to develop a prototype of what initially marked, when he first contacted me for advice in November 2008, a retirement community. " This initial characterization was probably intended to awaken my initial interest without having me ask difficult questions responding too. I really liked it and have captured since then, David to stay in our house, introducing him to a number of professionals who could benefit to advance the project, and warning about possible plots of land.

Latin American sites have advantages over the sites prospective Canadian and U.S. projects. Although still north of the Rio Grande may seem attractive initially because of language, ease of access for friends and family, and As for visits, and cultural familiarity, Oaxaca was chosen for its own unique set of advantages:

1) Access via ground transportation is constantly being improved and updated through the system of Mexico's toll roads, and extending from several locations along the U.S. border, directly to the City of Oaxaca, and through most convenient flight routes (such as being able to avoid Mexico City using Continental nonstop service from Houston, and Mexico from Los Angeles)

2) Your very pleasant climate, 12 months a year and is attractive both individual staff and provide solar energy;

3) The proximity to the Pacific coast beach destinations like Puerto Escondido and Huatulco

4) A modest cost of living (ie labor, public transportation, entertainment, food and taxes) on U.S. or Canada, and even the northern half of the country;

5) Availability of reasonably price of land tracts, fertile enough and with enough rain and groundwater for the partial support of self-sufficiency in terms agricultural production;

6) A number of potential development sites to choose from, no more than a half hour drive from downtown Oaxaca, ensuring proximity to restaurants and cafes, galleries, museums and other cultural institutions, as well as health professionals and hospital facilities;

7) His burgeoning expatriate community (including programs provided by the English language Oaxaca Lending Library), together with the support of Canadian and U.S. consulates;

The local populations that host non-Mexicans, motivated by a recognition that Canadian and U.S. immigration means more work and higher wages for relatively depressed economy, and an innate desire to embrace foreigners with open arms

9) The understanding by many of its professionals, trades and business people and government of what the project hopes to achieve, and potential for growth over the same in other parts of the state.

Each of the two eco-village "," sites identified on the website is equally attractive Hornick, meets criteria, and easily facilitates progress of the package of goals. The development of San Juan of the State consists of 25 hectares and is about 30 minutes from downtown Oaxaca, and San Lorenzo Cacaotepec sits on 75 hectares and is only 15 minutes from the city. Each one is about 10 minutes from the city of Etla, known for its lively market Wednesday and dairy products, particularly those known Oaxacan cheese, good (cheese, and the most popular "string cheese" known as cheese).

Each of the two events will contain 30 single-family homes of about 1,000 square meters, the house common corridors protected parkland and garden, and its own water and energy, as well as waste disposal facilities, thereby providing independence from the vagaries of municipal utilities, state and federal.

Hornick emphasizes that more than 300 days of sunshine each year, communities will be able to generate and store electrical energy using photovoltaic technology. Hot water is produced using solar heaters of water. The temperatures will remain comfortable all year through passive solar heating and cooling techniques – such as building stone walls extracted locally (known as "quarry"), clay or adobe brick, depending on the relative direction of the sun and prevailing winds.

But self-reliance has its limits, and to some extent dependent on the wider community of Oaxaca will be key. Hornick plans to develop relations with the inhabitants of nearby villages who are interested in employment as housekeepers, gardeners and personal care attendants. In addition, there is a strong good practice in the state of Oaxaca on the expatriate residents to participate in a language exchange agreement, whereby a couple of hours a week are being out informal meeting to help with their expatriates Oaxaca English and their Spanish.

During his visit to Oaxaca Hornick paid particular attention to evidence of cost of living, to the point of photographing the sales prices in a supermarket (which attracted the attention of the management of the store). In today is to try to specify other costs such as transportation, medical insurance and other costs, cleaning, maintenance, gardening and horticulture (although he believes it is important for residents to participate in such activities for exercise and maintain a sense of the role and purpose). "I'm trying to achieve a 'soft' figure stakeholders to determine if they can survive on social security alone. "He reassures. But one thing is certain – the cost of living should be less than 50% what the majority living in the U.S. or Canada.

The horizon

Hornick plans to begin the pre-sale houses in late summer or maybe in the fall, with a small discount for those who choose to participate from the outset in the project as a kind of set up for development. For him and for most of his team, the motivation is pure altruism, having identified a sense of urgency on the part of many Americans, Canadians and Mexicans, even, and be in the enviable position of being able to address in this way, non-profit.

In a sense, is a pioneer, having started with a dream of a better, more friendly, easier and self-fulfilling life for others in a new environment, the wild to continue the metaphor. Plans to establish roots in Oaxaca, and will conduct a medical practice, encouraging other similar means to do the same.

Was clearly different for those who had the courage and instinct to find something better hundreds of years ago at the opening of borders U.S.. Today there are more of a necessity, but with virtually no wager. After all, with an investment of between $ 100,000 and $ 150,000 for a quality new home built in a climate of security in the south secure, while at the time substantially reduce costs by supporting a sustainable living environment, should not be too difficult a lifestyle decision to make – especially for those who have been contemplating change.

About the Author

Alvin Starkman received his Masters in Social Anthropology in 1978. After teaching for a few years he attended Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, thereafter embarking upon a career as a litigator until 2004. Alvin now resides in Oaxaca, where he writes, leads small group tours to the villages, markets, ruins and other sites, is a consultant to film production companies, and operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast. ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ) .

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