On March 1, Bulgarians give Martenitsi to loved-ones, friends and relatives – a wish for happiness, success and good health during the new year. According to the ancient tale, you must wear the Martenitsa until you see the first blossoming tree or the return of a stork. It is fairly easy to see a blossoming fruit tree in town, but nowadays the sight of a stork is very rare. A group of youngsters, however, will be familiar with the appearance of a stork, not from a picture on the computer screen but because the newly constructed real estate Terres near Plovdiv will be as close as possible to the natural environment.

Idea for a Green Home
The complex will encompass a total of 100 ha of land only 5 km from the centre of Plovdiv and 1 km from the Trakia motorway. Within the complex, 20 000 sq m have been allocated for an enclosed park. Within it, along the pathways, 100 wooden huts for birds will be installed and on top of a tall electric pole a large stork's nest will be perched. It is constructed from a modern light metallic frame and it will have its first inhabitants this coming spring. The idea of the investors from Maison Creative is not to have the separate gardens of each house segregated by stone fences but with vegetation fences instead, as it will contribute to the natural green look and superior appearance of the complex as a whole. The perimeter of the entire village will be encircled by tall living vegetation.
The village will be on a hill offerings a splendid view towards the Rhodope mountains. The hill itself boasts more than 80 different plant and flower species. Exotics plants, uncommon for Bulgaria, will adorn the pathway in the summer. During winter they will be protected in specially designed greenhouses. The plants within the village will be watered by an expansive irrigation network, while to facilitate easier movement around the complex, special paths will be installed.
The benches within the complex will be constructed of wood and stone, and a baby ski slope will be featured on the hill for local children which, during the summer, can be used also for skateboard and rollers.

Eco Construction
Complex Terreshas its own water management and recycle station and thoroughly constructed infrastructure – electric supply, water supply and disposal network, telecommunications, and gas supply network. The insulation effectiveness is quality guaranteed by incorporating Austrian bricks LEITL within the structure. Manufactured from special clay, baked at higher temperature, they have a coefficient of insulation of 0.41c which has a four points superior performance than the standard for Bulgaria, at 0.45. The roofs of the completed four houses were nominated for the final of the VI national competition "Most Beautiful Roof", organised by the Austrian company specialises in roof systems, Bramak. Terres' roofs participated in the category Single Family Homes. Their advantages, approved by the Bramak commission, are dry installation, without the use of cement. The roofs are equipped with snow stalling hooks, ventilating tiles and bars against birds.

Eco Insulation
The houses in the hill village, 68 in total, are insulated with the newest materials for external wrapping, consisting of feathers and wool. Goose feathers are considered the best anti-heat insulation, and apart from that, they also keep the heat inside and the moisture outside. Wool is the best noise insulator and is also used for wall wrappings, a system which has been in use in France for the past 200 years. On the basis of tradition, the new technology has been designed which has been in use in modern construction for the last few years. Goose feathers are used for insulation in the Musical College in Paris. As goose feathers are used for internal stuffing on the inside of the house, the surface is rather soft, a second parallel wall has to be installed, 10cm apart from the first, and the feathers will be in between. In Bulgaria usually the second wall isn't commonplace, but in France and Belgium during Termos building, the installation of a second wall is next to mandatory and of proven efficacy.

For further information:
Maison Creative, Plovdiv 4000, 4 January St
Tel: 0888 28 3135, 032 63 3737
www.maisoncreative.net, office@maisoncreative.net