Shelter with the look and feel of a guest ranch
While most shelters offer congregate housing, Littlegrass Ranch will offer weekend style cabins so that each family will have private living quarters. It may be a shelter but it will look and feel more like a guest ranch. Our initial goal is to have eight duplex units.
Why individual housing?
Individual housing will be provided for people so they may co-habit with their pets, minimizing the potential for spreading diseases that is so common in animal boarding facilities and many group living situations. The cabins will be constructed with materials such as stained concrete and tile that are easy to clean and sanitize after each habitation. We feel that separate and private living quarters will truly facilitate the restablishment of more normal living conditions..
Green building technology designed by University of Southwest Louisiana
The facility is not yet designed, but once we are funded, the University of Southwest Louisiana School of Architecture has agreed to create a "green" design and draw the plans for the entire complex. USL was the winner of the US Department of Energy's Solar Decathalon with it's Beausoliel (Sunshine)House
Construction methods will be both cost-effective and environmentally-friendly. Anything being built will meet current standards for maximum energy-efficiency and any existing buildings will be retrofitted where possible to modern energy-efficient specifications.
We plan to continue using green technology through:
- Solar energy collection
- Rainwater harvesting
- A geo-exchange heating and cooling system
- A 10KW photovoltaic system used for providing electricity
- Automatic light switches that turn lights off when rooms are not occupied
- Skylights that provide natural light so that lights can be turned off
during the day
- A very low wattage/SF lighting system
- Programmable thermostats
- High performance windows
- Low-flow plumbing fixtures
- Reclamation of gray water for garden and landscape purposes
- Landscaping designed to capture and use rain water
- Low water use trees, shrubs and plants
- Front loading, low water use washing machines
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