LIEUX à DECOUVRIR

 Bienvenue en Écosse, dans l'étonnant village de Findhorn !

Des maisons construites à partir de fûts de whisky ? Seule l’Écosse pouvait avoir une idée aussi brillante ! Mais attention, le concept n’est pas seulement classe et loufoque : il est aussi écologique, pratique et particulièrement performant ! Gros plan sur Findhorn, un village exemplaire.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        La première maison en fût de whisky a vu le jour en 1986. Fourni par une distillerie locale, le fût en question offrait alors une surface de 26m2.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Depuis, la maison a été considérablement agrandie grâce à l’ajout de fûts supplémentaires.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Aujourd’hui, Findhorn compte une douzaine de maisons de ce type. Toutes sont isolées grâce à des pneus, de la paille, des pierres ou d’autres matériaux de récupération et certaines sont mêmes couvertes par un toit végétalisé.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Si ces habitations d’un genre nouveau ont vu le genre à Findhorn et pas ailleurs, cela ne doit rien au hasard. Cette communauté fondée dans les années 60 est en effet considérée comme étant le premier éco-village d’Europe et, là-bas, tout est pensé pour vivre le plus harmonieusement possible avec la nature.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Ces maisons conçues à partir de fûts recyclés et de matériaux de récupération témoignent parfaitement de cet état d’esprit, mais bien d’autres signes illustrent les convictions écologiques des habitants…

  

Exemples : Findhorn se nourrit essentiellement grâce à ses jardins collectifs exploités en permaculture, l’énergie est fournie par quatre éoliennes, les maisons sont chauffées par la biomasse et une partie des déchets organiques est revendue aux agriculteurs du coin…

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Ça va même encore plus loin que ça puisque les habitants vont jusqu’à traiter eux-mêmes leurs eaux usées sur place grâce à un ingénieux système baptisé « living machine. » Le principe, surprenant, repose sur une chaîne vertueuse : des algues mangent le nitrate, le zooplancton mange les algues, les poissons mangent le zooplancton, les roseaux consomment les toxines et les arbres absorbent les métaux lourds.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Cet ensemble de mesures pour une vie plus autonome, moins énergivore et plus respectueuse de l’environnement a valu à Findhorn de recevoir le prix ONU Habitat  (qui récompense les initiatives en faveur du développement durable).