Swiss Village – Moldova’s “Venus” Project

‍So, Sergiu, Kirsan’s Swiss Village: howhas it come about, what inspired this project

The Kirsan company has been building housesfor more than 13 years. We have achieved significant success in buildingconstruction, improving our approaches and technologies with each new project.

Just a few years ago, the world energycrisis started, our company took the direction of searching for cheap energy.

We studied and researched the hugelydifferent directions in this field, and as a result we revised our planningstrategy with a fundamentally new concept around modern living – with an eco-settlement.That's how our project was born, which is now on the point of implementation.

The phrase "Swiss Village" isquite popular today and many people are familiar with it. Tell me, please, whatdoes it mean in your case?

The name of the Swiss Village project wasborn from our technical objective of creating and making energy-efficienteco-homes for people. If we talk about the name, then the term "Village”indicates a distinct and comfortable settlement and community;"Green" because we offer renewable electricity to power the homes.Thus, "Swiss Village" is a comfortable place for people to live,equipped with energy-efficient options.

Let me add though that while the energyefficiency of the homes is essential, it is far from the full extent of what weplan for this new project. Our goal is much larger and wider.

At first glance, your project is similarto some others that have been built in Moldova – low-rise buildings,comfortable infrastructure. Tell me, please, what makes your project differentand why do you think it will be needed?

As a rule, other dwellings – apartments orhouses – already have a certain standard solution in terms of energy andheating. Our innovation is that we plan to integrate all possible energysources so that our residence can survive independently. This will be handledby a specially created management company that will be able to provide the villagewith alternative sources of energy.

In the Swiss Village estate, which occupiesmore than 25 hectares, there is a biomass boiler. For this project, we haveprepared an agricultural program, which is already working and ready to ensurethe supply of raw materials. Biofuel energy will be turned into electricity andhot water, which we will supply to consumers at a rate 20% below the usualcost.

Also, solar panels will be installed in eachhouse, which will provide power for the house. We can provide additional energyat a lower price at home - to those who need more electricity. By the way, ourcompany is also manufacturing solar panels, so we have these available for ourprojects.

This means a hybrid CHP system – CombinedHeat & Power - a combination of alternative energy sources that harness theenergy of the sun by day and use biomass by night.

This all means that living in one of the Swiss Village homes will not only be comfortable, but also cost effective.

Will this mean that your eco-homes areabsolutely autonomous in terms of energy consumption and other services?

According to established standards, Swiss Village houses are initially connected to all the necessary centralized services.But we provide an additional opportunity: residents, based on their individualpreferences, can supplement the existing options with energy-efficient sources,thereby creating their "green home" - install solar panels on theroof of the house, a heat pump, a solid biomass heating system, etc.

In the description of the project, it issaid that the Swiss Village house has a higher level of comfort. What do you meanby this?

Our architects designed the houses withmaximum thought to logistics & ergonomics. Once inside the house, you canmove easily from one area to another. We do not have long corridors, there areno obstacles to moving along the floors. For example, we have reduced theheight of the floors by half, that is, you can get from one zone to another byclimbing just one flight of stairs of 8 steps.

Our houses are a split-level design, andthanks to this solution, the entire space of the house is felt at the sametime, and this creates very comfortable conditions for being in it.

The common area is the hall together with akitchen, with convenient access to the terrace, from there to the pool, or tothe gazebo or other areas on the street. The interior layout allows you to placeall your furniture and other items easily and conveniently.

Boiler rooms are also located inside thehouse, and underground rooms are provided under the house, which can be usedfor a cellar or sauna.

The houses are designed in such a way thatany of these developments can be easily integrated into the project, likecomponents in a car. When choosing a house, the owner can their choice ofoptions.

What can you say about the reliabilityand safety of the Swiss Village project houses?

Our housing is permanent frame stonehouses, with a guarantee of durability for 100 years or more. The main buildingmaterial is environmentally friendly and is quite in demand today - red brick.In the future, we plan to use lightweight concrete. The houses are seismicallyresistant, withstanding vibrations of the earth's surface from 8 to 9 points[RA1] . Solar panels can be fitted that will provide free electricity toyour home, resulting in energy security.

As for the safety of the homes, this willbe a guarded, gated community, ensuring the safety of residents. In addition tothis, a design has been drawn up for a safe room which can be integrated as anadditional option should future residents so desire.

What is the general infrastructure of aneco-residence?

Of course, we have planned complete communityinfrastructure for Swiss Village residents. This includes a kindergarten, astore, a sports area (football field, tennis court), a pharmacy, a fitnesscenter, and areas for recreation and events. In addition, the proximity of theChisinau infrastructure is a big plus: the residence is located in the Togatincommune of the Chisinau municipality, which is just a few minutes’ drive fromthe capital.

But I want to focus on another feature ofthis settlement. In addition to a solar station and a biofuel boiler house,greenhouses are planned to be located on this territory, in which it will bepossible to grow eco-products all year round, offering them to local residents.

At the same time, if they are interested, Swiss Village residents will be able to participate in the growing of producein the greenhouses. All they have to do is register their interest and theythen get their own section in the greenhouse – like an allotment in which togrow their own food. The greenhouse will be supplied with heat from alternativesources located here. So, we are adding another self-sufficiency module in thisecozone.

The draft plan for the eco-residencealso includes a lake and a duck farm.

There is a natural spring on the villagesite, along with a stream, which we decided to use to create a small lake and aduck farm - and possibly a rabbit farm as well. We want to use the breeding ofanimals and birds both as a source of homemade products, as well as to createan additional eco-environment. Animals produce organic fertilizer, which can beused to maintain the life of the lake. This creates a closed ecosystem cycle.

That is a very unusual approach for ourenvironment.

Yes indeed, but we are also planning thesame closed cycle in the processing of waste from the homes - to createtreatment facilities which will process waste and turn it into organicfertilizer, using it in the development of agriculture in the same territory.

We plan to integrate waste collection,which will be separate waste into plastics, organic waste, and other householdproducts, and these will be sent for appropriate recycling. We have partnerorganisations who will be involved in the implementation of this project.

The project is extremely well thoughtout, and it would be interesting to live in it. But tell me: does the word“residence” mean that the houses of this settlement are intended for a limitedcircle of people, with a high level of income and a special status?

On the contrary, we are developing the ideaof low-energy homes for any consumer. This also applies to the cost of housing.In this project we offer a price of 500 euros per square meter, which is 40%lower than the average market price for housing.

We also plan to design house models forpeople of different social categories: pensioners, students, couples and largefamilies, and offer a price significantly lower than the market price so that peoplecan afford it.

How quickly can such a house be built?

The speed of production is based on properplanning, and our previous projects have helped us refine this. We haveready-designed models. We produce stone frames at the factory, which we deliverand install permanently at the selected location. It takes 60 days to installone residential building, but we know that we can build even faster.

We have been developing this process formore than five years, and today we are ready to offer it to end consumers.

Is it possible to build such a houseoutside the Swiss Village, on your own plot?

Certainly. A person chooses a project andthe desired options for it, we order it at the factory, deliver it and installit at any chosen site. Over time, we will also offer a demolition service - incase someone has purchased a plot of land with a house on it or simply wants tobuild a new one instead of their previous house.

In addition, the split-level houses wedeveloped have another important advantage related to the geography of Moldova.More than 80% of houses in the republic are located in hilly areas. Split-levelhouses can be ideally located on such hilly ground.

Nine models of one- and two-story housesranging from 95 to 200 square meters will soon be fully prepared and presentedto buyers for their choice. They differ from each other in number of floors,number of rooms, and floor layout. You can choose one of the models based onyour preferences.

Why do you say that your project isEuropean?

We proceed from the fact that Europe paysgreat attention to the high quality of services provided to clients, and oureco-houses fully comply with European standards of quality and comfort.

Does this mean that such residences willbe in demand in European countries?

Certainly. Now we are starting theconstruction of more than 300 houses in a certain location in Moldova - the Swiss Village. In the future, we plan to build about a million housesthroughout the republic and in other European countries.

As for Moldova, we are considering largergoals - to restore and raise the standard of rural life in order to preservethe villages that are dying out today.

Your entire Swiss Village project isinnovative, one might say, even unusual for our existing ideas about communityrequirements. But it seems very promising.

Yes, time and changing circumstances leadus to this. I think you have heard about the ideas of Jacques Fresco and his“Venus” project. I am sure that the Moldovan “Venus”, Swiss Village, will be agood new start in this direction.

Thank you for the interview. Of course,new questions have arisen - both about your biofuel project and the developmentof solar energy, I would like to talk in more detail about the Venus project,and, we hope, this will be the next topic of our meeting.

Thank you. See you soon!

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www.swissvillage.md