Outside
In landscaping our outdoor spaces, we often waste water, ignore our soil's quality and overuse chemicals that are harmful to the environment, salmon and other wildlife, and our health. zHome's approach is to work with, not against, nature to ensure outdoor spaces are attractive, yet have as little environmental impact as possible.
No lawn, compost rich soil, drought tolerant and bird friendly plants
zHome's landscaping uses drought-tolerant plants that don't require watering once they're established. Plantings are enhanced by using nutrient-rich compost that helps hold water, improve soil quality, and reduces runoff. This doesn't cost more, it's just smart landscape design. zHome's plants also provide habitat for birds and wildlife.
Rain gardens
Rainwater running off zHome roofs is slowed first by filling cisterns, where the rainwater is collected for toilet flushing and clothes washing. Rainwater then runs through a series of raingardens, which are areas of deep organic soil that hold large volumes of moisture, and where the rainwater can seep back into the ground like it did before the building site was cleared.
Pervious pavement
When it rains, it drains. zHome incorporates pervious walkways and paved areas, so that stormwater can seep through pavement and into the ground, limiting the fast runoff speeds of typical solid paths and roadways. This avoids overtaxing streams' natural ability to absorb flows and limits the amount of pollutants washed into local waterways
Micro-car parking
Transportation is one of the largest impacts on greenhouse gas emissions. zHome units will support limited use of traditional vehicles. In addition to being next door to the neighborhood park and ride, zHome includes parking stalls specifically sized for micro cars such as Smart Cars.
