Housing Designed To Last From 'Cradle-To-Cradle'

An international design competition based in Virginia has yielded the first 'cradle-to-cradle' housing, made of sustainable materials able to be used and reused with no loss of quality and limited environmental impact.

1 minute read

October 20, 2006, 5:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


Construction waste has been eliminated. Carbon emissions have been offset. And the new cradle-to-cradle housing slated to begin construction next month near Roanoke, Virginia, is even reasonably affordable.

"What C2C Home organizers hope to achieve in Gainsboro is to associate sustainability with affordability and tradition. 'We want to show that a green home doesn't need to cost more or look different from its neighbors.' "

"After mortgage incentives and product donations, the estimated cost of the house hovers around $95,000, within the ballpark of the median home price in Roanoke."

"Passersby will not be able to distinguish the 1,602 square foot C2C house from others lining the block, nor will they know that the structure is completely modular, Boyle says."

Wednesday, October 18, 2006 in Grist

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