RUSS

R.U.S.S stands for Rural Urban Synthesis Society. RUSS is a community land trust (CLT) set up to build sustainable housing in London. During 2008, 12tone raised enough money to pay for our incorporation. We are registered with the FSA as an Industrial Provident Society of benefit to the Community (an IPS Ben Com) reg No.30624R. Our model rules were provided by Land For People, another CLT based in Wales.

It is our aim to build housing that harnesses natural, renewable energy sources to produce food, heating and electricity, using integrated systems within the infrastructure of the buildings. We believe through innovative design, it is not only possible to build zero-carbon emission housing, but negative carbon emitting housing.

We are in our infancy and are currently looking for plots of land or derelict buildings in London to develop. One idea, is to have our buildings twinned with a piece of rural land, where, through agro-forestry techniques, we can grow food to supplement our inner-city allotments.

It also our aim to build a community space within this project so that members of the community can get involved and receive education and advice on effective, environmentally abundant housing.

Here is a short list of a few organisations already successful in building structures and systems as described above, check them out! :

http://www.mcdonough.com/full.htm
http://vegetalcity.net/
http://www.agroforestry.co.uk/
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/meet-the-people-behind-britains-first-selfsufficient-village-458241.html



More to follow soon..........