ToolBase E-News volume 143
In This Issue:
SYMPOSIUM PARTICIPANTS SAY CONSUMERS TO PLAY MOST CRITICAL ROLE IN SPURRING HOUSING INNOVATION:
According to a recent release (03/02/06), PATH and McGraw-Hill Construction have announced the preliminary results from the Symposium on Market Data for Housing Innovation, held last month. The audience of leaders from industry, academia, government, and private research organizations concluded that understanding consumers, their behaviors, and their motives topped the list of immediate requirements to spur innovation in housing. The group also found that it is critical for the end-users of innovative technology to be able to access a clearinghouse of product information and that clear performance measures can have a significant impact in increasing adoption rates. These conclusions and others will be integrated into a report that offers policy and implementation plan strategies for government and industry to use when moving forward in developing their research agendas. To learn more, read the release.
MASSACHUSETTS UTILITIES DEPLOY INNOVATIVE HOME HEATING SYSTEMS:
According to a recent article in the Braintree Forum (Robert Aicardi; 03/08/06), the Braintree Electric Light Department (BELD) in association with the American Public Power Association (APPA) is sponsoring the deployment of a number of Climate Energy Micro-CHP (Combined Heat and Power) Systems in homes in Massachusetts. The innovative systems use fuel twice: first to generate electric power, and then to heat the home. To learn more, read the article or visit the Climate Energy website.
"IDEAL HOME" WINNER SELECTED:
According to a recent article in the Anchorage Daily News (Peter Porco, 03/04/06), a winner has been selected for the "Ideal Home 2006" competition. The competition, developed by the Cook Inlet Housing Authority, challenged Alaska's housing industry to envision a three-bedroom house, with a minimum of 1,200 square feet of living space, one and a half baths, a laundry room and a two car garage that is easy and affordable to maintain - with a sticker price of less than $220,000. The winning design was devised by Mayer Sattler-Smith/Friends of H4H. The company's winning idea revolved around using an insulated structural panel to replace the standard 2x6 construction. Overall, the house achieved the highest energy rating among the finalists. The home will be built starting in the summer. To learn more, read the article.
HABITAT SUBDIVISION MAY HINT AT FUTURE:
According to a recent article in the News Leader (Mike Penprase, 03/10/06), a Habitat for Humanity subdivision in Springfield, Missouri could change the way local subdivisions are created. In addition to creating the new Legacy Trails subdivision, the Springfield chapter of Habitat for Humanity worked with Greene County and other groups to use low impact development (LID). If the LID techniques succeed at Legacy Trails, they may be put into place throughout the county. The subdivision aims to control stormwater runoff by replacing curbs and gutters with swales and creating gardens that collect stormwater. To learn more, read the article.
CAPE FEAR LAND STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM AWARDS FIRST WINNER:
According to a recent article in The Sun News (Steve Jones, 02/13/06), the Village of Woodsong and Preservation Park in Shallotte, N.C., were awarded the 2005 Outstanding Recognition award in the first annual Stewardship Development Awards, which support environmentally-friendly residential and commercial development. The Awards were created by the Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association and are based on a program developed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The Woodsong development uses low-impact development (LID) strategies to control stormwater. Its streets are narrow, which reduces the amount of impervious surface, and they dip toward the center where grates channel stormwater. Homes in the development range from $500/month rentals to $300,000 homes, as well as plans for assisted living units. To learn more, read the article.
RESEARCHERS DEVELOP EASY-TO-ASSEMBLE HOUSE-IN-A-BOX:
According to a recent release (02/28/06), researchers at the University of Minnesota Duluth's Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) have developed a new ready-to-assemble house that could provide a quick, affordable option for everything from disaster relief dwellings to starter houses and lakeside homes and cabins. The House3 (House-cubed) Technology relies on computer-driven programs to streamline home building and create a container-like structure that can be unloaded at a site and assembled in a matter of hours. Everything from floor to roof is shipped in a container, which itself becomes part of the house. Unlike traditional mobile housing, it can be transformed into a permanent structure that increases in value on the site. To learn more about House3, read the release.
PINPOINTING STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS EARLIER WITH FIBER OPTICS:
According to a recent release (02/09/06), University of Ottawa physicists have demonstrated an optical system that detects problems in important structures more precisely than before. Called the Distributed Brillouin Sensor (DBS), the system uses fiber optics to detect deformation, cracks, and bending in structures under real-world conditions. The new system can catch much earlier signs of costly and dangerous structural failures than previously possible. Unlike current structural health analysis, which is done on a spot-by-spot basis, DBS can detect problems over all points in the entire structure and pinpoint them to within 5 centimeters. In addition, the technique can improve the testing of structures and materials by providing valuable information during the testing process. For more information, read the release.
I'M HOME REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS NOW OPEN:
CFED, a nonprofit organization that expands economic opportunity, recently released the 2006 Request for Proposals (RFP) for Innovations in Manufactured Homes (I'M HOME). The mission of the I'M HOME program is to ensure that families who purchase manufactured homes reap comparable benefits to those of site-built homes, such as quality of construction, affordable and responsible financing, opportunity for property appreciation, ownership or long-term control of the land underneath their home, and other consumer protections and resale options. The RFP solicits proposals from affordable housing practitioners who are seeking to address barriers to asset building in the manufactured housing sector. Successful applicants will be awarded either implementation grants of $150,000 or catalyst grants of $50,000. For additional information or to download the RFP, visit the CFED website.
