July 26, 2012 11:19 am
Real Life Hobbit Village Proves the Greenest Way to Live is Like Bilbo Baggins
Hobbiton, not Denmark. Photo: Culix
In a hole in the ground there lived a…Danish person? That’s right, some Danes are taking to the dirt like Tolkien’s hobbits. Their own Shire-like eco-village is a model of sustainability, and one of the oldest of its kind.
TreeHugger describes:
About an hour and a half by train from Copenhagen — with its own station stop for easy non-car access — Dyssekilde defines eco village as 74 sustainably-designed highly unique houses and apartment buildings that range from hobbit-style straw bale to high design.
The site also includes seven wind turbines, a seriously impressive 66-foot long bin system for recycling, chickens, gardens, and acres of green space — all serving 118 people, 60 of which are children.
The eco-village describes its citizens as ”a bunch of very different people with different backgrounds and reasons to live here, and yet we are bound together by shared values like ecology and sustainability, and a wish to live within a social community based on respect and tolerance.”
Whether they are also “well off, well fed, and best pleased when sitting by [their] own fire with a pipe, a glass of good beer, and a meal to look forward to (which they take 6 times if they can)” is left to speculation.
More from Smithsonian.com:
Were the Hobbits’ Ancestors Sailors?
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For the last three weeks, my 4 yr old grandson has stayed inside the house due to the high temperatures. When he does go outside, the sun hurts his eyes because he’s used to being in the dark house to help keep it cool. In the case of the Hobbit village, unless they have sky lights, I would be concerned about the children not getting enough sunlight. Hopefully, my grandson will be able to go outside again soon, but daily living in a sunless abode causes me concern for physical and emotional wellness of all involved.
Comment by Deborah — July 26, 2012 @ 5:04 pm
Cool!
Comment by Odyssey8 — July 29, 2012 @ 1:16 pm