FreeGreen, the world's leading provider of house plans today announced that from September 16th until September 30th, the public will have the chance to vote on the best design submitted to the Chain of Eco-Homes Project.
Sep 17, 2009
The public vote will help to determine the form and function of Greensburg, Kansas, America's first green town, which is being rebuilt after a Level 5 tornado leveled the town in 2007.
The results of the vote will have an impact on determining which disaster-resistant, green technologies will be used to restore the devastated town. From hundreds of entries originating from 13 countries around the world, the top three winning plans will be built into actual 'homes' that demonstrate to eco-tourists how sustainable, weather-resistant housing can be built affordably.
"The Chain of Eco Homes is an important element to the town's overall goal of becoming a destination for eco-tourists interested in learning and being inspired by the first sustainable town in America," said Daniel Wallach, Executive Director of Greensburg GreenTown. "Greensburg's resolve to rebuild sustainably dispels the myth that only liberal and progressive states like Oregon or Massachusetts are ecologically sensitive. Being "green" isn't about red states or blue states; it's about changing behavior and perception."
The Chain of Eco-Homes project's winners will have their home plans built as “living laboratories” featuring all types of building techniques, energy efficiency features, and green living products. To participate in the voting, the public should go to http://www.freegreen.com/test/greensburg/most-voted.aspx where they can view the design entries and vote for their favorite. At the conclusion of the contest, the winning plans will be available on the FreeGreen website to download and build.
"FreeGreen is thrilled to facilitate this cooperation between building experts and the public in determining how sustainable communities will look and function in the future," said David Wax, CEO and founder of FreeGreen. "Finally, the public will have the opportunity to make their voice heard with regard to green building."
The town of Greensburg, Kansas in cooperation with FreeGreen and Greensburg GreenTown, a grassroots community-based organization dedicated to providing inspiration and leadership in order to be a model of sustainable living for the world, have joined together to make history and improve the lives of more than 1,200 of its residents.
Chain of Eco-Homes Competition Details
Competitors must design a home using one of three disaster-resistant wall systems. The design must be able to be built for $110 per square foot, which is the average cost in Kiowa County. There will be a construction cap of $154,000 per house. Also, each single family home should have 2-3 bedrooms and 1.5-2 bathrooms for a 75' x 140' site in Greensburg, Kansas.
There will be one winner for each of the three wall systems, and the three winners will compete for the $10,000 first prize. Each of the three winners will have the right to be built as part of the Chain of Eco-Homes Project, and each home plan will be available for free on FreeGreen.com
http://freegreen.com/
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