The EcoCasa in Nogales, Sonora
Sufficient, safe, sustainable, affordable, durable housing is a significant challenge in many parts of the world. In dense urban areas, the challenge is exacerbated by lack of land, building materials, and infrastructure.
The EcoCasa was designed to address this challenge in the urban border city of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. Since its inception, it has served as a site for learning and exploration of alternative technologies. It is a modest house with a small Carbon footprint, was constructed using knowledge and skills available locally and with locally-available materials such as waste paper and cardboard, and functions as a hybrid structure that is connected to utilities such as water and electricity but collects rainwater and generates electricity through photovoltaic panels.
New features are added to the site as they are developed, evaluated, and ready to be shared with the community.
This website was created to provide information about the construction and features of the EcoCasa and to demonstrate how the EcoCasa functions. Through the online platform, and by incorporating data generated onsite, this website makes it possible for you to visit the EcoCasa from anywhere with an internet connection! Graphs and charts summarize trends in precipitation, solar insolation, electricity produced, and temperature inside and outside the house, and real time data feeds indicate the conditions at the house at any given time.
To learn about any particular feature, click on the feature you wish to explore. You also can access the information through the menus at the top of the page.
