Green With Envy

A Project to Promote Sustainable Housing Models
August 2004
Michael Karp, Project Leader

Project Background

Housing today continues its trend toward expensive, large buildings that are energy inefficient, give off gas toxic materials, do not capture and recycle water, or use green principles and design, in general. There is a need to demonstrate sustainable housing models . . . especially for single adults, and adults with one child, senior citizens, or couples.

One need not sacrifice aesthetics, or quality of life when building smaller homes and using newer, alternative materials and techniques. The Green With Envy Project seeks to demonstrate what’s possible.

The Project Leader has visited prototypical cottage home clusters but do not maximize green components and strategies, nor are affordable for the target population mentioned above.

Project Description

To start with, we will seek to demonstrate clustered cottage homes with common space for gardens, out buildings, parking, and “community” use. State-of-the-art features that are energy efficient, use renewable energy, energy-efficient appliances, water recycling, green materials, recycled materials and techniques, and alternative community transportation will be demonstrated. Eight to twelve units built on a collectively small footprint will be the goal, with approximately 800 square feet per unit.

Tasks for this demonstration project:

• Research
  
• Business plan
  
• Model ordinances to allow cottage home concept
  
• Solar access ordinance
  
• Marketing
  
• Site location and agreements
  
• Site preparation
  
• Memorandums of understanding
  
• Building and site permits
  
• Cottage home building design
  
• Overall site design and layout
  
• List of sustainable components and corresponding vendors and contractors to be used
  
• Research into capital structures, options, models
  

Opportunity

Create with prototypical models. Federal, state and local grant funds, foundation resources, private sector partnerships, and networking to further the goals of the project. By starting under a non-profit charter provides opportunity for funds not available directly to a private sector initiative alone, especially on the R&D needs.

Michael Karp
A W.I.S.H.
Michael@awish.net