The Empowerhouse December 2012
Students of Parsons The New School for Design entered a design-build competition in the 2011 Solar Decathlon, with their entry, the Empowerhouse. The team won the affordibility section of the competition, with the passive house design costing $229, 000 US to build.
They went on to partner with Habitat for Humanity of Washington DC and the Department of Housing and Community Development to build the home specifically for the Washington DC neighbourhood of Deanwood. The house became a home for a family selected by Habitat for Humanity of Washington DC in December 2012. I plan to visit this project in the coming months.
“When we first entered into the Solar Decathlon competition, it did not make much sense to us to expend all the effort in designing and building a model house if it would not have a real impact,” said Orlando Velez, who went from working on the project as a student at The New School to being hired as the Operations Director full-time after graduation.
“All of us worked hard to make a house that’s amazingly energy efficient. It’s a really robust opportunity to teach the community about a whole host of environmental issues — green gardening, stormwater management, getting tax credits for using solar power, and more. It’s one of a kind. How could we just pack it up after the competition?”
See more at their website
http://parsit.parsons.edu/our-house/
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