Leben Village a self-sufficient community development

Lebanese International University

Project idea

Leben Village is regenerative model for engineering and facilitating the development of off-grid, integrated, and resilient neighborhoods focuses on creating self-sustaining community that harmonize with its environment. This model integrates various innovative technologies such as energy-positive homes, renewable energy systems, high-yield organic food production, vertical farming, and advanced water management systems. The goal is to create a closed-loop system where the output of one process becomes the input for another, minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency. Leben village aims to empower residents by providing clean energy, water, and food locally, fostering a strong sense of community and connection to nature. By reducing reliance on external resources and infrastructure, this regenerative community offer a sustainable and resilient alternative to traditional urban living to bring modern man back to the natural cycle.

Project description

Yemen is a water-scarce country with inadequate freshwater, considerable groundwater depletion, and a lack of adequate surface water and the dominant issues facing agriculture in Yemen are: low productivity, severe resource constraints (especially water scarcity), inadequate marketing systems, low human resources capacity, lack of infrastructure facilities and production technologies, and insufficient supply of inputs. Furthermore, the increased production of qat is overtaking production of food crops.

Leben Village focuses on creating a sustainable and resilient environment by addressing economic, environmental, and social problems.

Economical:
Leben village aims to define a resilient growth structure by implementing sustainable systems supporting natural recourses productivity. Reducing reliance on external resources by promoting local production and consumption. This includes supporting local businesses, farmers, and artisans, which helps create jobs and retain wealth within the community. By fostering local entrepreneurship and reducing dependency on global supply chains, the community can achieve greater economic stability and resilience.

Environmental:
Leben village aims to establish a resilient agricultural and hydrological infrastructures.
- Using Aquaponic systems (Closed-circuit sustainable method that combines aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil) uses significantly less water than traditional farming, educes the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, promoting a healthier ecosystem, contributes to local food security and reduce dependency on imported food, minimizes agricultural runoff and soil degradation, helping to protect natural habitats.
- Developing sustainable hydrological system by using Eco Machine™, a living system that uses plants, bacteria, algae, snails, and fungi to recycle wastewater into clean water that restores the aquifer. The system is chemical free, uses zero net energy, and creates a closed-loop hydrological cycle.
- Protecting and enhancing biodiversity within the village by promoting ecological corridors surrounding the village. A crucial design decision was to allow a space for a biodiverse environment to natural take place around the runoff water banks. The runoff water banks are vibrant ecosystems teeming with biodiversity. They provide a unique habitat where land and water meet, supporting a wide variety of plant and animal species. Vegetation such as reeds, willows, and grasses stabilize the soil and offer shelter and food for numerous insects, birds, and mammals.

Social:
Leben village celebrate a sense of place by creating spaces that reflect the unique identity, culture, and history of a the Sana'ani community. Achieved through thoughtful architecture, public art, and landscaping that resonate with local traditions and natural surroundings. Incorporating elements like local materials, historical references, and community input ensures that urban spaces feel authentic and meaningful to residents. Additionally, designing for walkability, green spaces, and social interaction fosters a sense of belonging and pride among inhabitants. Ultimately, creating a vibrant, livable community where people feel connected to their environment and each other.

Technical information

In the high plateau areas of Yemen both local mud and nearby imported stone form a hybrid of construction materials. All Yemeni buildings exhibit superb craftsmanship in a tradition of mud and stone masonry that has been maintained for centuries, thereafter; The main building material used in Leben village is Leben ( the traditional Adobe unit in Old Sana'a). Leben units are built using a mixture of sand, clay, water, and organic materials like straw or manure. This mixture is molded on site into bricks using wooden frames and then left to dry in the sun. Once dried, these bricks are stacked and bonded together with more adobe mud to form walls. The walls are typically thick, providing excellent thermal mass, which helps regulate indoor temperatures. Adobe structures are known for their durability, especially in dry climates. Another material is burnt brick. mainly used in masonry walls for their aesthetic appeal with their classic red color. Basalt and limestone rocks are very abundant onsite and has been used as the main material for the buildings foundations and pavement material. The design incorporates past insightful selection of materials based on local and environmental resources with new building techniques creating innovative forms and structures.