Eco Neighborhood – St. Maarten

Eco friendly housing encompasses Environmental issues, Water and Wastewater, Transport, Materials, Health and Well-being, Affordability and Adaptability. All ingredients that will be applied when constructing the first Eco Neighborhood where structures will be built that are  “hurricane-, earthquake challenged and fire-resistant. The first Eco Neighborhood to be developed on St. Maarten DWI.

Project Overview

This Eco Neighborhood will consist of:

• Phase 1A: An outdoor Bazar known as The Keys Market – a local market built out of recycled materials that offers workshop activities, jobs and business opportunities in reducing and upcycling waste. A plus is that it will provide its own electricity, biogas and have its own waste-(water)-management system. There is room to accommodate 40+ flexible stalls.
• Phase 1B: A food court section built out of 14 modified shipping containers. Where each food stall must follow the sustainable dogmas “Reduce and Reuse” by implementing the use of compostable food service, reduce food waste, use organic, free-range and local ingredients wherever possible. Food vendors also must sort their waste so it can be reused as far as possible.
• Phase 2: 24 Self-sufficient Homes built out of modified shipping containers that will provide own renewable energy sources and be part o f the waste-management and waste-water management system. The plan is to construct Eco Homes of the types Studio, One bedroom, Two bedroom and Three bedroom.
• Phase 3: Geodesic dome constructions that has a social function, for they will be a Holistic Health & Wellness and Refuge Shelter.

Construction & Services

Our philosophy and motto is Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Re-purpose – 4 x R which is applied while constructing this Eco Neighborhood. The becoming of a self-sufficient Eco Neighborhood with Biogas system, Waste management system, Waste-Water management system, Renewable energy sources, a Park landscaped with Perma-culture gardens and Aquaponics system providing food and fish in abundance offers future residents the chance to a self-reliance and sustainable life in a piece of paradise on earth called St. Maarten.

To construct hurricane and earthquake proof housing “Eco Housing” modified shipping containers and geodesic dome structures will be applied.

Shipping containers are made out of corrugated CorTen Steel so they are exceptionally durable and hardy. They are built to withstand heavy winds and high seas on cargo ships. That makes shipping container homes earthquake, hurricane and tornado safe and fire resistant. Their durability also makes them hard to break into. Used shipping containers are easy to come by and can also be used as extension making these Eco Homes modular built. Constructing a shipping container home is 40% faster compared to conventional construction and 30% cheaper compared to purchasing building materials.

Domes are usually arrays of triangles that form three- or five-eighths of a geodesic sphere. Geodesic domes are efficient structures in several ways. Geodesic shelters have been built all around the world in different climates and temperatures and still they have proven to be the most efficient human shelter one can find. This makes geodesic dome buildings highly resistant to such forces as heavy rain falls, hurricanes, withstands 225mph winds, earthquakes and tornadoes. More specifically the dome is energy efficient for many reasons. It’s decreased surface area requires less building materials!

Construction is managed by and executed by HoomStreet and Carib Housing  – experts in alternative construction and renewable energy sources – together with volunteers and 3^rd party local suppliers.

Currently we are looking for donations or investors for small investment amounts that will help us:

• Provide all building materials and needed labour equipment.
• Select and/or purchase used shipping containers for modification.
• Create a local workforce who will be taught to carry out the shipping container modification.

Reliable & Experienced

Designs are made by HoomStreet (www.hoomstreet.com) which has expertise in alternative construction and knowledge of renewable energy sources systems. Designs are also displayed on Carib Housing (www.caribhousing.com). Carib Housing is an expert in conventional and alternative construction methods, project management and tenant management. Marlin Yard is fully responsible for the overall management and marketing activities of this project.

Support & Incentives

Want to donate? Click here

Donation $6 –  Supportive ring – “beer opener”
Support our project and receive our campaign bracelet that shows your support for this good cause.

Donation $20 – Supportive beads bracelet
Support our project and receive this ring that shows your support for this good cause.

Donation $50 – Supportive T-shirt
Support our project and receive our campaign T-shirt that shows your support for this good cause.

Donations $100 and more – Stays at Vicky’s Keys Eco Hostel

In return for supporting this plan your are invited to stay at our St. Maarten partner – the only Eco Hostel called Vicky’s Keys – whom is a great supporter of this mission. In addition you get to witness the project progress of modifying shipping containers into market stalls and or “Work & Live Units” at the local market. If you like you can help sell locally made stuff at the market, or help make furniture out of pallets and or help sell great smoothies made out of fresh fruits and herbs from out the perma-cultured gardens.

Donations $800 and more – Come and Test the 1st off-grid Eco Container Home

In return for supporting this plan you are invited to stay 5 days in the first Eco Home to be created soon.

Risks and challenges

By implementing our 4xR motto = Reduce- Reuse- Recycle and Repurpose, we minimize investment risks. The challenges and risks to complete this project are mostly climate and area related. St. Maarten lies in a hurricane zone. Hurricane periods are from 1 June throughout 30 November peaking in August, September, and October with higher temperatures, drought and occurring tropical storms which are common making it a gamble if a hurricane would hit St. Maarten.

It is crucial to start construction activities in December until May. Although hurricane and earthquake challenged construction is carried out we cannot forecast the destructiveness of a hurricane or nature related phenomenon. It’s possible building materials could get damaged or lost in such cases. But nevertheless we put damaged building materials back to good use!