Architect-designed, 2,3, & 4 BR homes on 70+ riverfront acres. Organic farm. Walk to school, shops, cafés, arts/culture.

Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm is a cohousing community under construction in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Several residents have moved in; construction will be completed by the fall of 2008. The Neighborhood consists of 29 environmentally-designed homes, a Common House, professional office space, a working farm, and woodlands with walking trails. Each home type (duplex, single-family, 4-unit building) is registered for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum with the US Green Building Council. The neighborhood is located on 70 acres on Steele Road along the Nubanusit River, with nearly a mile of river frontage, about a one mile walk along well-maintained sidewalks from downtown Peterborough.

The homes feature highly-insulated building envelopes, infrastructure for solar hot water collectors, and natural, nontoxic materials chosen for quality and durability. Hardwood and tile floors are used throughout the homes; day-lighting design creates light and airy interiors. The first floor features an open-concept living/dining space with a full entry and half bath/laundry room. The second floor consists of a master bedroom, full bath, and additional bedrooms. The entire neighborhood is heated by a central wood-pellet fired heat plant. Each unit features Energy-Star appliances, compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and triple-glazed windows, ensuring unusually low energy-use and heating costs.

The Neighborhood has both an in-town feel and a rural character. The architect-designed, New England farmhouse-style homes are clustered on a small portion of the land adjacent to the river, farm fields, and woodlands. The Neighborhood is pedestrian friendly, with all vehicular traffic limited to the parking area at the periphery. Residents will use golf and garden carts as needed.

The biodynamically-managed farm consists of fields for pasture, hay, vegetables, and fruits, and will include an apiary, a small dairy, and other farm animals. There is an on-site pond for swimming and skating.

Peterborough is a town of 6,000 located in the Monadnock region of southwest NH, an area of mountains, fresh water ponds, rivers, and small towns. Hiking, biking, swimming, skiing, and many other outdoor activities are right out the back door or minutes away. Town recreation facilities (ball fields, tennis courts, pool, playground, and skateboard park) are within ½ mile. Peterborough is a vibrant shopping, arts & cultural center, and is home to the MacDowell Colony. There are good public schools, and Waldorf daycare, preschool, elementary, and a highschool in the area.