About the Co-operative Community

Association:  AiH is an association, which is open to membership to everybody.

Membership fee:   300 DKK/ year

Members:   About 130 adults. Most of them are living or plan to live at the Co-house groups of AiH.

Contact Address: Gammel Kirkevej 82, 8530 Hjortshoj, Denmark.

Location:  North of Aarhus, 15 km from the main central train station. (3rd zone of Aarhus)

Transport:  Local train or bus No. 58 (both from Aarhus main train station).

Established:  1986. Area size: 22 hectares

Co-house Groups: There are 5 Co-House Groups. 2 more are planned presently.

 

  • Co-house Group 1: 10 families in twin houses
  • Co-house Group 2: 20 families in row houses
  • Co-house Group 3: 11 families in single houses and one twin house
  • Co-house Group 4: 26 families in row houses
  • Co-house Group 5: 18 families in row houses

Common Buildings: There are 4 Common Buildings and an Exhibition & Office Building

Common Buildings: Common Building for Group 1 and 2 "Snail House" (presently used by Group 3 also)

Common Building for Group 3 "Oval House"  (under construction in 2000-06)

Common Building for Group 4 “Solhuset”;  Common Building for Group 5

Exhibition & Office Building "Petersborg".  Offices include:

Økotech Building Company, Rehearsal room for musicians in AiH

OVE-Europe (Danish Organization for Renewable Energy).

INFORSE-Europe (International Network for Sustainable Energy) www.inforse.org/europe

Residents:  85 families: about 220 adults and children.

Lifestyle:   AiH aims to be an example of a holistic way of living with sustainability as a keyword in respect to both ecological,

economical and social aspects of life. This approach is visible in many ways in our daily life, examples are:

 

  • Houses are built with an aim to be environmentally sustainable (e.g., rammed clay, earth blocks, wood, paper insulation, solar collectors, ovens, paint from linen oil etc)
  • Using compost or separation toilets
  • Collected rainwater is used in the common washing machines
  • Collected urine is to be irrigated to plants after 9 months of storage
  • Collected faeces is composted and used to fertilize energy-willow plantation
  • Collected grey water is evaporated in a energy willow plantation
  • Organic farming, with animals like chicken, cows, and goats
  • Optional joining of organic vegetable-growing group
  • Optional joining of a car-sharing Association (two cars)
  • Optional common dinner three days a week 
  • Fewer people have cars and more people use bicycles and bicycle trailers, moreover people are active being against of a planned highway near to Hjortshøj
  • Building company (Økotech) for environmentally sustainable construction
  • Energy Association providing hot water from a wood-pillet and a wood chip burning boiler (Cogeneration of Heat & Power is planned with a sterling motor, which will start in the spring of 2005)
  • Common social events and arrangements (New Year, harvest celebration, art workshops etc.)
  • Cultural evenings and days with music, dance, story telling both for adults and children 
  • Michels's Eco-green, which is a commercial organic vegetable farming  and organic ice cream production  Open two times a week. (Tuesday and Friday)
  • Biodiversity care: Re-establishment of a lake in August 2001.
  • Gymnastic for different age groups, dancing for children, yoga