Our primary vision includes conscious relationships, awareness practice, compassionate communication and sociocratic decision making. We place a strong emphasis on sustainability and encourage urban ecovillage practices.
Our Story
In 2010, Ron & Laurie relocated to Asheville, NC with the intention of building a community after decades of living in different types of communities on their own. At the time, Ron had a lifetime of experience in building that he wished to combine with his 30 yrs of community building experience to create something new.
They shared a lifetime interested in sustainability and intended for this project to incorporate all aspects of sustainability: social, economic, and environmental. The vision for the project was to create a strong, sustainable community that would provide the context for personal and interpersonal growth that could bridge our society’s gap from the lonely and separate individuals toward connection and belonging.
In 2013, they purchased the land that would become our neighborhood, which included a 1970 era brick ranch that would provide rental space within a shared house environment. It took about two and a half years of planning, engineering, and zoning before building commenced by 2016. As of the beginning of 2021, eight green-built homes had been completed, making a total of 9 residences for the neighborhood.
Moving forward, we are in the planning stage for the last three houses and are starting with the two small cottages in spring of 2022.
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Developers – Ron and Laurie Czecholinski
With a lifetime of home building and over 25 years of community building experience, Ron and Laurie love to help people create healthy homes, as well as community-oriented living environments. Their experience is hands-on and goes beyond the nuts and bolts of construction to focus on the relationships with those we live and work with. They understand the dream and challenge of construction and collaboration – the pitfalls and frustrations along the way, as well as the excitement and satisfaction.
Residents
Within the aesthetic and cultural design parameters of Echo Hills Cottages, from home design to creating the neighborhood, all residents are crucial to the co-creative process and are invited to participate.
A healthy mix of personalities have converged so far here at Echo Hills. Activists, humanitarians, scientists, engineers, social workers, builders, entrepreneurs, lifelong communitarians, gardeners, beekeepers, wanderers, homebodies, and more. Some of us work full time at our trades. Some of us are happily retired. Some of us can’t wrap our minds around that concept.
All told, there are about a dozen and a half owners and renters at the moment. Though we lead lives of our own and maintain healthy boundaries, we’ve landed here from different backgrounds, paths of life, and ages to share and hold space with one another for a while.