Written by Natalia Bolohan

Tove has been developing homes for the past thirty years. Sustainable building piqued her interest while she was remodeling a farm house in Switzerland and was declined the use of a wind mill due to proximity to a residential area. Ever since then Tove has made an effort to incorporate sustainability into all her projects. It wasn't until Casa Selva, that she was able to build a completely sustainable home, making this project her pride and joy. Tove’s philosophy is that a house can be both eco friendly and beautiful. Case Selva is proof that sacrificing comfort and beauty are indeed not necessary when building sustainability. The villa’s glass walls reveal beautifully decorated bedrooms and an open concept living room and kitchen. The all white walls and concrete provide the perfect contrast for the crystal blue pool and sharp architectural lines. Inside the villa we learned about the strategic use of a green roof to ensure cool temperatures, which Tove told us is an old school green building method, dating back even hundreds of years. The villa is also equipped with modern sustainable features such as solar panels, LED lights and a brand new, state of the art, energyplant technology.

Not only is the villa intended to be earth friendly, but it is located in the middle of nature, namely the jungle. As if a beautifully built, sustainable home is not enough, the property also hosts a mystical cenote (a natural sinkhole or cave) where small animals often stop and drink water. Our first question was "Can we have a dinner party in the cave?" Tove assured us we could if we wanted to. The villa, much like the owner, is beyond description charming and unique.

We love that it is beautiful and functional without causing any harm to the spaceship we call Earth. Happy Earth Day fellow crew members!