Village Terraces
A Cohousing-style Neighborhood at Earthaven Ecovillage

Who is Village Terraces?

Village Terraces is a neighborhood "pod" within Earthaven Ecovillage. Our vision is to create extended family and a deep connection to the earth, ourselves, and each other. With the completion of our first building (of four), we are home to eight adults, two children, Red Moon Herbs, and three other home businesses. We plan to grow to 30 adults plus children with an abundance of gardens, orchards, and animals to help us thrive.

What We Value

We share all of Earthaven's ecological and spirit-guided values and agreements. In addition, the following values are particularly important to us:

  • A desire to raise children together in a neighborhood and village context.
  • Honest and responsible communication with an active willingness to resolve conflicts in a healthy manner.
  • A commitment to consciously and lovingly raising both plants and animals for food.
  • Love and acceptance of ourselves, our bodies, and the cycles of life and death.
  • Cooperative living in common-walled buildings built with local materials.
Our Vision for the Future:
Our vision for the future

Features of Our Neighborhood

Village Terraces features affordable and elegant private apartments designed and built with cooperative decision making, using local materials and labor, and sustainably harvested lumber.

What we share:

  • Energy systems (solar and hydro based)
  • Heating systems (non-petroleum-based)
  • Large kitchen and great room
  • Bathroom with tub and shower
  • Root cellar
  • Guest room
  • Indoor kids space
  • Tools
  • Utility room/pantry
  • Washing machine
  • Appliances
  • 9 acres of neighborhood land
  • Outdoor playground
  • Library of sustainability resources
  • Indoor and outdoor composting toilets
  • Walkways, paths, ponds, benches
  • Graveled parking

We also share chores, childcare, meals, social time, decision-making, our hearts, and our lives.

What is Cohousing?

The term Cohousing was developed by two American architects, Kathryn McCamant and Charles Durrett, who studied this housing model in Denmark. Cohousing is an attempt to utilize the social, economical, and practical benefits of cooperative living while at the same time allowing for individual needs and privacy. In cohousing, families reside in their own private apartments but unlike traditional urban or suburban neighborhoods where anonymity is the rule, cohousing not only allows for, but strongly encourages social interaction, interdependence, and cooperation among all members. This is usually done through the informal and formal day-to-day gatherings in centrally-located, jointly-owned common spaces such as kitchen, gardens, pathways, play spaces, and lounging areas. Learn all about cohousing at cohousing.org

Please Join Us

We are open to interested folks who want to help us create our vision. We desire mature, responsible folks with good communication skills who can fulfill all membership requirements for Earthaven and can bring skills, time, energy, and money to this project.

For More Information

To learn more about the process of joining Village Terraces, read our Initial Contact Letter (pdf format).

Joining Village Terraces Neighborhood means first becoming a member of Earthaven Ecovillage. Please explore the village through our website, a tour, and extended visits. Tours are offered on Saturday mornings at 10:30 by reservation.

To contact Earthaven for a tour please call 828-669-3937.

We offer selected tours at Village Terraces. If you would like to schedule a visit to Village Terraces specifically, please fill out our Guest Application (pdf format). To email us, click here:

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Ten Reasons to choose Village Terraces

  1. Personal growth and healing through deep relationships with ourselves and others.
  2. A built in "extended family" and playmates for children.
  3. Decision making through a rich consensus process.
  4. A supportive path for those who value simple, cooperative, and sustainable living.
  5. A way for elders to contribute in a substantial way that benefits all.
  6. A balance of private and common space.
  7. A sharing of costs - both building and maintenance, which creates more affordability.
  8. Opportunities for home-based businesses.
  9. A design that uses land more efficiently in order to leave more "open" space for agriculture and wildlife.
  10. Earth-healing processes such as natural building construction and permaculture design principles.