Elon University Eco Village

The Loy Farm Eco Village, located on Elon University’s Loy Farm, brings together a heightened student housing experience with the deepening of an important educational program.

Creating an authentic village atmosphere, six unique two-bedroom homes are clustered around shared gathering spaces alongside the educational farmland of Loy Farm. Each of the six homes have been designed to showcase a variety of unique sustainability strategies, including reduced site impact, lower energy consumption, onsite energy production, responsible water consumption, water filtration, and low carbon footprint. Interwoven between the structures is an ecologically restorative landscape with a variety of native plant species which serves to deepen the experience while providing a healthy reprieve.

The homes are dedicated to students within Elon’s innovative Environmental Studies program, which leverages experiential learning to educate students on strategies to solve the world’s greatest environmental and social issues. The students will be part of a “Living-Learning Community”” which has been created to amplify this experience. At the Loy Farm Eco Village, students will engage the built and natural environment on a daily basis with hands-on learning within their dedicated coursework.

To bring this ambitious vision into reality, Elon University facilitated an innovative process. One home was designed and constructed by Elon students, led by associate professor Robert Charest. The remaining five homes were designed by four architecture firms; Haven Design|Build from Durham, Stitch Design Shop from Greensboro, Raleigh Architecture Company from Raleigh, and Heirloom Builders from Pittsboro. Each design team leverages their unique experience and expertise to bring variety and interest to the village. These custom designs were brought to fruition by Haven Design|Build’s construction team.