Elements Research & publish an open source “Guide to Affordable Sustainable Living in the 21st Century” based on firsthand research of people & communities with a proven track record of sustainable living practices and distribute it via free Internet download. Develop a computerized model & extensive knowledgebase for green home & community building called the “Green Equity Building System” that includes the open source planning tools necessary to design, build, operate and maintain a green home in a sustainable, green community. Utilize our Sustainable Living Research and Green Equity Building System to actually design & build a workable sustainable community that can be promoted as a model for others to replicate with their own unique embellishments. Create an intern program that employs volunteers to learn by doing and then mentor others who wish to create a more sustainable lifestyle for themselves and their families. Interns will be encouraged to help to facilitate a wide variety of developmental adaptations to our base model that are tailored to local conditions. Breakthrough This is a breakthrough compared to other affordable or sustainable building projects because it focuses on the working middleclass who, otherwise, would not be able to qualify for a community-subsidized affordable home. Also, this project recognizes that construction costs, operating & maintenance expenses, energy efficiency, renewable energy co-generation, local building code compliance, and careful use of land trust agreements can all combine to make green home ownership a workable reality even during a major global recession. What sets us apart is our focus on assisting the beleaguered American middleclass with its transition to a green, sustainable lifestyle.

Describe the critical need your solution addresses.

Current Stage
An extensive library of greenhome design & construction, sustainable energy, permaculture, bioshelter systems, and sustainable community development information has been accumulated. A 5 acre parcel of land with a pond next to the Washington National Forest in Bath Country, Virginia was purchased for a model community demonstration site. A conceptual design for a simple to build, affordable solar greenhome is completed and being reviewed by our architect. A multimedia computer, project collaboration server, and knowledgebase authoring software have been procured. Our website is up & running at www.greenequitybuilders.org, and we are actively recruiting team members. Founders have participated in a proof-of-concept community houseraising of a Deltec Home Kit. A local artist has donated use of a 25ft geodesic dome frame for this project.

Three Year Plan
Our three year implementation plan calls for constructing the first greenhome’s wall panels, floor joists and roof trusses inside the construction dome during a series of potluck, community panel-building parties. When the basic homebuilding components are ready for assembly, an onsite homeraising party will be held to create a dried in structure over a weekend. Inside work will be scheduled over an extended period of time as funds & labor availability dictate. Meanwhile, the Permaculture Team will be developing the organic gardens, fruit & nut trees, aquaculture pond, underground greenhouse, and potable water collection, storage & distribution system. At all steps of project development, the Knowledgebase Team will be carefully documenting all aspects of construction, and publishing the research online as it becomes available.

Prize Money
We will use the Prize money to seed a microcredit lending program that will help to fund this project and several affiliated small businesses that deliver essential, back-to-basics products & services into our local community, thus helping our sustainable community to grow synergistically.

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

How We Meet the Challenge Criteria
Comprehensive: addresses major issues responsible for present conditions, including home size, building & financing costs, renewable energy, and middleclass lifestyles.

Anticipatory: anticipates trends like credit tightening, rising energy & food costs, back to basics economics, desire for affordable living, and an underemployed labor force.

Ecologically Responsible: working with nature’s underlying principles and enhancing the Earth’s life-support systems.

Feasible: relies on current technologies and existing resources. Doesn’t require any new breakthrough technologies for its success.

Verifiable: begins as a computer-modeled design, progresses to working prototype, and then monitors its own performance.

Replicable: easily replicated by a marginally skilled construction team of regular people, utilizing commonly available building materials & power tools.

Trimtab: our Green Equity Building System is a catalyst inserted into our failing real estate system at the right time and place to accelerate the transition to an equitable and sustainable future.

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

Alan McRae: 30 years of experience as a professional computer consultant, systems engineer, project manager, website designer, and accounting system specialist. Hands-on experience with Deltec Home Kit assembly, use of common power tools, and familiarity with the work of Michael Reynolds, the New Alchemy Institute, and other bioshelter pioneers.
alan.mcrae@charter.net

Maggie Barton, L-CSW, MSW: 30 years of experience as a professional social worker, including running a shelter for battered women, private psychotherapy practice, and operating a bed & breakfast/retreat center. Current experience includes teaching & counseling adults at Haywood Community College, working with Job Corps, and assisting with the prison outreach program.
maggie.barton@charter.net

Validation and Support
Ken Czarnomski, chairman of the Construction Management Technology Department at AB Tech and a licensed architect, has reviewed our conceptual design and pronounced it feasible. His department has the software tools and experience necessary to create a final CAD design, simulate the solar energy performance, help produce a materials takeoff & construction schedule, and provide some construction guidance. Friends & local community members have donated the dome frame, tools, reference materials, computers and some of the money for the land purchase, while others are volunteering their time, labor and expertise. The current financial crisis has increased inquiries and offers of support several fold.