Arkadien Winnenden is a Family & Earth Friendly Eco Village Near Stuttgart, Germany

<a href="http://www.strenger.de/kaufen/neubau/siedlungskonzepte.html" target="_blank">Arkadien Winnenden</a> was once a factory, but it's been transformed into a beautiful earth friendly residential village outside of Stuttgart, Germany. The project was completed in the spring of 2012 and it now provides affordable housing in a sustainable community with parks, gardens and water features supplied by rainwater harvesting. <a href="http://www.dreiseitl.net/index.php?id=526&amp;lang=en&amp;choice=7&amp;ansicht=text" target="_blank">Atelier Dreiseitl</a> was responsible for the project and landscaping with help from <a href="http://www.eble-architektur.de/">Jochim Eble Architektur</a> and developed by <a href="http://www.strenger.de/" target="_blank">Strenger Bauen und Wohnen</a>.

<a href="http://www.strenger.de/kaufen/neubau/siedlungskonzepte.html" target="_blank">Arkadien Winnenden</a> was designed to provide families with affordable, sustainable and healthy housing.

The densely developed neighborhood allowed the project to be built more economically, thus providing more housing at a lower cost.

The project was built on the site of a former factory, and the land and soil underwent considerable remediation to make it a healthy place to live.

Limited street access keeps cars either in the underground parking area or in designated spots to improve the streetscape and to provide more space for <a href="http://inhabitat.com/gardening/">gardens</a> and quaint streets and walkways.

This encourages walking and riding bikes and provides a safe space for kids to play.

All of the homes are built to be energy-efficient - they feature eco-friendly and non-toxic materials, and the builders prioritized local sources.

Flood retention and protection ensures that all of the homes will be protected in the event of heavy rains, which are a problem in the area.

Native plants and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/green-roof/">green roofs</a> create new urban habitats and provide a cleaner environment for people.

Rainwater is collected throughout the entire complex and stored in cisterns for water features, toilets, and landscape and garden irrigation.

Picture of the site before the housing project began.

The water-sensitive design of the project pervades throughout to create a healthy and welcoming space.

Site plan.

This little project is a convincing example of how good climate adaption can be.