On a rainy Friday afternoon, Kylie Johnson stands outside the Ohio University Ecohouse, telling a tour group about the enormous solar panel standing out front.
The Ecohouse, a three-bedroom brick house that is a short walk from campus, is part of university housing and is a model of sustainable living.
The house is located on Dairy Lane, past the Richland Avenue roundabout.
Johnson, a graduate student studying environmental studies, has lived there for two years.
“I thought when I first moved in that it was going to be difficult, that I would have to change a lot of my habits, but it was a really easy transition,” Johnson said. “You don’t feel like you’re doing any more work than you would otherwise.”
Ecohouse residents give tours, hold open houses and have household chores that include taking care of the compost pile, tending to the garden and recycling.
Students also are responsible for taking care of some of the technology that keeps the house running, such as the wood-pellet furnace and the terra compost “worm factory” in the basement.
From using rain barrels to collect water to the solar-thermal panel and Energy Star appliances, the Ecohouse residents strive to be completely sustainable in every aspect of life.
“A lot of the technology is not what we would consider technology,” Director of Sustainability Annie Laurie Cadmus said. “Most of it is just normal things in the everyday that can be used as pieces in a sustainable lifestyle. It’s a combination of the high-tech and the simplistic.”
Over time, the subtle changes in the Ecohouse lifestyle become second nature, said Hannah Simonetti, a junior studying environmental geography. Actions such as using a clothesline instead of a dryer or reusing gray water in the toilet to save on costs become the norm.
“It’s really just like living anywhere else with a few added responsibilities,” Simonetti said. “It doesn’t feel like a burden to me. I finally feel like I’m in a place where I can live like I’ve always wanted.”
Simonetti said one of the best parts about living in the Ecohouse is the chance to explore sustainability in individual projects.
“One cool thing is that we have 14 project hours per quarter that we’re required to complete, and those hours can be spent doing whatever we want,” she said. “It creates the opportunity to explore things you’ve always wanted to or expand your knowledge of sustainability in a hands-on way.”
Applications to live in the Ecohouse for next year are due Nov. 7, and the application is available on the university’s housing website.
Rent is $395 a month, including utilities. Applications are open to all students, not just those studying the environment or science.
“I think it’s a great living laboratory,” Cadmus said. “It’s a great way for people to see a sustainable lifestyle in action. It just shows a different way of living an average life.”
Johnson said living in the Ecohouse was an unforgettable learning opportunity.
“I think it’s cool that I’m living in a house with green technology that I get to show to the community,” she said. “I think it’s a wonderful way to connect to the community and introduce sustainable living. It’s a really great learning tool. I’ve really enjoyed living there for two years.”
jf392708@ohiou.edu
