This information guided visionary Paolo Lugari so you’re able to their decision to create a sustainable tropical society in Colombia
To the world’s society set-to double within this 50 years, individuals will in the future have to go on homes previously felt unlivable. The guy explained to a group of experts, agronomists, engineers, and you will physicians he noticed they had around three choices for in which growing a separate neighborhood: burn off along the Colombian Auction web sites, do the exact same in order to El Choco, the large jungle on the Colombia’s west coast, otherwise preseve the newest woods and you can go after your so you can los llanos, the brand new bare flatlands east of the Andes. For the 1971, Lugari guess a claim to twenty-five,000 acres of the llanos, where in actuality the class started to change the latest poor earth inside Colombia towards magic area of Gaviotas.
Gaviotas are a compound out of cool light cottages with laminated roofs, shady from the mango woods and bougainvillea. The heavens is gardenia-scented; purple warblers and you will magnificent scarlet tanagers sing-in the fresh woods. You will find guest households, a beneficial refectory, commissary, and you can university. Across an area ponies graze before an event hall with a radically vaulted roof. Its aerodynamic looks was echoed by clusters regarding brilliantly coated relatives dwellings, whose pitched roofs was studded that have solar energy panels. Solar power drinking water heating assistance create from the Gaviotas now temperature liquids into the the president’s palace when you look at the Bogota, plus the three largest social casing improvements – that that have seven,five hundred units – for the Bogota and you may Medellin. At Clinica San Pedro Claver, one of several nation’s most significant healthcare facilities, Gaviotas was creating besides solar power hot-water heaters, but boilers, coaxing off Bogota’s overcast environment heat good enough scorching so you can sterilize tools twenty-four hours a day.
Regardless of if Gaviotas household have their particular kitchens, it mainly eat in the open-heavens living area. One hundred-in addition to some one collect on long tables to have lentil soup, salad, rice, meat-and-potato stew, cassava, and you may papaya juices. Produce, meats, chicken, and you can fish are formulated here.
Custom Windmill Fuel
Bright aluminum sunflowers signal brand new approach to Gaviotas. Although this exotic basic drifts atop a vast subterranean river, Indians and you can very early settlers needed to haul liquids out-of dirty channels. Jorge Zapp, lead of your own physical engineering department regarding Bogota’s Universidad de- Los Andes, learnt 58 different types of windmills in advance of starting a personalized model to help you pump the brand new llanos. The result is actually a compact equipment weighing barely 100 weight, their blade tips contoured particularly flat wings so you can pitfall smooth equatorial breezes.
Gaviotas given the opportunity to plan a warm civilization about ground right up, rather than based tech establish having north climates. « As soon as we transfer solutions in the Us otherwise European countries, » said Lugari, inventor off Gaviotas, « i also import the problems. »
Historically Gaviotas auto mechanics enjoys strung tens and thousands of the windmills across the Colombia – occasionally gaviotas is the regional word to possess windmill. Just like the Gaviotas won’t patent innovations, preferring to talk about her or him easily, the design has been hot women from Puerto Rico duplicated of Main America so you’re able to Chile.
Electricity originates from a minimal-lead wind mill powered by a circulation, except on the small inactive season, if it is copied because of the good diesel creator. « Into the 24 years we have learned to pay for 70 percent in our food and times needs, » states Gonalo Bernal, officer from Gaviotas. « The fresh new trees we plant more than compensate for people carbon dioxide i make. Let’s say the rest of the industry resided such as for example all of us. »
Colombia’s Model Area
Gaviotas began while the a set of boffins, children, and you may laborers revealing auto, bedding, food, attire – and ilies inserted him or her and you can a long-term colony with private households emerged. Bodies are by the opinion and unwritten rules. So you’re able to limitation societal sickness, liquor try restricted so you can homes. To preserve animals, pets and you can guns is banished. A significance of police, prison, or doorway locks has not developed. Whoever violates protocol, eg a beneficial storekeeper who recently acknowledge so you can overcharging, is actually ostracized by the community until his debt are repaid. Loafers aren’t accepted, but with wages over the Colombian minimum-wage, in addition to totally free snacks, healthcare, universities, and property, loafing is not an issue.