A "Silicon Valley for circular economy innovators" is how a future eco village located in Ecuador is being billed. Here, the houses will be made using 3D-printed cacao waste.
Waste from cocoa farming will be used to help create the "Cacao Eco Village," located in the city of Pedernales in northwestern Ecuador, more than 200 km from the capital, Quito. The idea hails from the Italian architect Valentino Gareri, who imagined buildings designed with recycled cocoa fibers and with the help of a 3D printer.
This eco village project is being carried out in collaboration with the chocolate-maker Muze and the Avanti association, founded by Ecuador's Carolina Pozo. A cacao-processing plant will be set up in the village in order to "produce new ethical cacao-based products that are highly traceable, offsetting carbon footprint." As Avanti explains on its website, the goal of this project is also to "[lift] farmers and their families out of poverty and [integrate] them to the global supply chain."
The houses will be built specifically for local farmers and will feature colorful facades, in reference to the fruit of the cacao tree, with shades of red, green, yellow and orange. Entirely eco-designed, these homes will have features such as a roof that collects rainwater and natural ventilation.
Known for its stunning beaches, the city of Pedernales is also home to Ecuador's largest cacao crops. The "Cacao Eco Village" is described as "the first of a global network of sustainable and smart villages; a carbon-neutral destination and innovation center for circular economy."
Construction is expected to begin in 2022.
