materials and modular assemblies for maximal strength and optimal energy performance while reducing material use and creating minimal waste. The problems of perception and code-compliance encountered by the Dymaxion house are not issues since the miniHome does not require to conform to the stylistic or infrastructure requirements and other obstacles found in the residential building codes, but rather by the ANSI (USA) and CSA (Canada) standards that govern mobile homes. Many of the in-built disincentives to green design and infrastructure are thus overcome and a truly green, off-grid and affordable housing solution becomes a viable option. Currently, building codes and zoning discourage innovative, affordable, off-grid and green housing and infrastructure developments by requiring heavy-handed curb-and-gutter style streets, sidewalks, streetlights, water-supply, wastewater, gas and electric infrastructure. This results in an expensive, centralized system for conveyance/supply and treatment, electrical production and (wasteful) transmission, and their inherently high-energy loads and concomitant pollution. The infrastructure found in existing trailer parks, is almost completely the opposite - it is light, unobtrusive and inexpensive. One finds an abundance of key features in sustainable community design, such as permeable paving surfaces (gravel roads and housing pads), no sidewalks, curbs, gutter or sewers (slowing rainwater infiltration and natural groundwater recharging), minimal housing footprints and outdoor lighting, enforced low-speed limits for vehicular traffic (as low as 5 mph), an abundance of common areas, a strong sense of community, trees, flora and fauna - and housing units that are designed to use a minimum of water, gas and electricity.

Describe the critical need your solution addresses.

Sustain has been experimenting with minimal, off-grid, affordable shelters for over 10 years, having built dozens of concept houses using innovative structural systems and materials in Germany, Canada and the USA. We have explored everything from domes to boats to vans. We decided to focus on the mobile home as it is already an established industry and accepted form of low-cost housing in the USA and Canada. The miniHome SOLO Travel Trailer was built in 2006 as a proof-of-concept prototype. We have since undergone a complete retooling of our production facility and assembly workflow and have optimized the design for production to ensure consistent high-quality in the assembly and detailing of the units, which is critical for aesthetics, energy performance and durability. We have also designed 6 new models of miniHome, that can be configured in a wide range of floorplans.

We have developed a robust website to handle inquiries, comments and sales, and we have received wide editorial exposure (from Oprah to David Suzuki, TV and Radio features) for the concept. Based on extensive feedback (from our website/comments) from our growing market, we have ‘democratically’ integrated all of this feedback into our new line of models. We have begun to work with over 10 different prospective park developments in the USA and Canada to re-design existing trailer parks using our full range of new models.

2009 - Moving Beyond the Prototypes, the first Production-Optimized Show models arrive on 3 key sites in the USA and Canada (50% of prize to develop park community design guidelines - a free downloadable PDF, and 50% Towards Optimizing Structural Design, Chassis + Envelope)
2010 - Sales from Show Models to Community developments (approx. 300+ units) and initialization of further communities, plus exploration of international market opportunities
2011 - Expanded Manufacturing and Development internationally

Explain your initiative in more depth and its stage of development.

The miniHome has breathed new life into an industry plagued by low-quality and low-standards, by manufacturing a high-performance, detail-positive, easily transportable housing unit for under $120k. Featuring advanced combined heat and power systems and passive cooling+ventilation, solar shading & heating, that consumes 1/100th the electrical, 1/10th the Water and 1/10th the fuel of a conventional 2000 sf home - the miniHome is a true ‘Factor 10’ home. Materials are FSC certified, non-toxic, formaldehyde and vinyl-free, and readily re-purposed at the end of its service life (est. 50+ years). Our aim is to turn the RV and Manufactured Home Industry on its head in the course of 10 years - improving quality and creating a completely new market for high-performance, affordable homes. We have used new materials (PU and Steel SIPS) that reduce resource consumption and increase performance.

How does your strategy and approach respond creatively and comprehensively to key issues?

Sustain is composed of registered architects and mechanical/structural engineers and has extensive experience with high-performance, ecological design. Each partner has over 10 years of residential and neighbourhood design experience, using advanced BIM (Building Information Modeling) and analysis systems. Our manufacturing partners have over 40 years of experience in delivering high-quality housing to the mobile home market, and our development partners already own and operate successful, trailer-park communities. Sustain Design Studio is fully supported by Altius Architecture Inc. (www.altius.net) - an architectural practice committed to sustainable residential design. We have successfully prototyped and marketed the miniHome SOLO at very great personal expense ($480k) and are committed to enduring any/all hardships (such as the recent market chaos, which resulted in many of our speculative development partners to suspend orders) to ensure the long-term success of the project and viability of the business. With the help of the BFI prize, we will be able to complete our community design guidelines, including renderings, animations and best-practices - a necessary step in demonstrating the viability of our community design approach to a wide range of prospective development partners.