[:en]In cooperation with GivernyLoft architecture and local investment group we have been developing a brand new ecovillage project in Slovakia. The motivation for this project came from long-time studying of ecological concepts and impressive join with other people who have similar aims in their lives. We want to build a place for our children, sustainable, healthy and nature-friendly. This project launched around year 2012 where a group of people started to join terrains for their dreamy home.

The concept of the ecovillage is world-wide known as an laboratory where people are experimenting on their own to find the best solution for life. That’s why each ecovillage is different from another one, their policy is based on people’s habits and behaviour who are going to live in and together, As a community they try to find the solution inspiring and be inspired from other ecovillages.

Krasne Sady means Beautiful Orchards. The leading idea is to create sustainable settlement for young families with a wish of better life for the future.  The main production and possibility of income is based on orchards. The whole area is divided into 1ha lots, together for 55 families. Each lot can host only one familiar house. On every lot can be built construction as family house with supplementary buildings but up to 5% of the whole lot area. The rest has to be as orchard or forest and a lake within. The whole area will be powered by traditional electric network, but other typical resource networks are not allowed, nor constructed. Every lot has to drill own water well and to build water retention system to keep water on terrain as long as possible. To build a reservoir for draining water and own root zone for wastewater treatment. In this case the diversity and large scale of lots were not allowing to build more efficient centralized system.

The area contains also two lots for public services. On the entrance to the area will be situated a common building for public visitors, hospitality or dormitory house, restaurant and technical equipment for processing the crop from orchards and workshops for inhabitants. In the central area is already under construction the main service, the school campus for alternative education for children and community activities.

The area of the ecovillage belongs to the small ancient village Mlynica. This place is situated under High Tatras Mountains in the north part of Slovakia close to the city Poprad. In Slovakia it is a well known location with beautiful landscape. Close to nowadays necessary services and transportation and also close to beautiful natural park Vysoké Tatry.

This project reacts on Slovak culture, political and ecological situation. Whole concept is not based on economical income, but on real wish to create a place for better living. On one side the settlement should be as much as possible responsive and non-violent to the nature, on another side the task was to limit the possible construction violation in the area to prevent incorrect behaviours of neighbours. Local master plan went through the bureaucratic system of the country.

The masterplan contains a long list of limitations and recommendations to keep this area in based concept and to have a possibility to prevent unacceptable behaviour the society is used to have, to keep basic rules, to explain to the other people why and what is necessary to do in the area when building or doing something. How and what trees to plant, what are recommanded waste water treatment solutions, which materials to use in the construction to keep the idea of the ecovillage.

The whole area is already under process of selling to new land-keepers. Everybody who buys the lot has to start building and planting within two years.

All the supply documents are written for the public to understand the vision and possibilities of the ecovillage and also its rules.

More information you can find also on this webpage: http://www.krasnesady.sk/en/