EcoZa Launches South Africa’s First Carbon Neutral Green Estate

What's not to love about the earthy 360° Kransberg Highlands International Green Estate? Surrounded by 360 degrees of the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve's stunning pink-hued beauty (a haven for five of Africa's biggest, baddest wild animals), this <a href="http://inhabitat.com/zero-carbon-and-zero-energy-solar-training-center-opens-in-germany/">carbon-neutral</a>, 100 percent sustainable retreat is a nature lover's <a href="http://inhabitat.com/golden-dream-bay-moshe-safdies-pixelated-sky-garden-apartments-for-the-coast-of-china/">dream home</a>. Best of all, it's more than just a concept -- the estate's first phase of construction is currently under way.

This model house has everything an eco-warrior might want from a sustainable home: locally-sourced materials, FSC certified timber, solar paneling, LED lights, recycling and style.

The indigenous grass-covered roof is curved to allow for more efficient rainwater drainage.

The green roof has been carefully designed to ensure maximum insulation, which adds to both the building's superior acoustics and its thermal mass.

The timber used for flooring, windows, doors and even the interior cupboards is either FSC certified, reused, or taken from alien species. Many of the walls are made from rammed earth or compressed soil bricks.

Energy is derived from photovoltaics incorporated into the building, and a biogas digester converts human excrement and organic waste into cooking fuel. Some of this may also be used to heat water.

On the edge of a UNESCO-protected heritage site, the project aims for low-occupancy. Each of the first 11 houses will be built on two acre parcels and will act in sync with the region's endemic wildlife.

EcoZa has resisted artificial landscaping to ensure that natural water drainage occurs. Any waste water is diverted to an on-site constructed wetland, where it is purified and returned to the water cycle.