What’s not to like about pink sustainable houses conceived by Brad Pitt? In response to rebuilding New Orleans Lower 9th ward – after the (still) devastating effects of Katrina – Global Green, Brad Pitt, Home Depot, and the people of the 9th Ward’s Holy Cross Neighborhood Association teamed up to produce the first low-income sustainable housing community.

Global Green and Pitt sponsored an international design competition in the summer of 2006. The New York based architecture firm Workshop/APD won the competition, and the completion of the first home there is underway.

The Holy Cross Project consists of 5 single-family homes, an 18-unit apartment building, and a community center/sustainable design and climate action center. The goal of the project is to achieve LEED Platinum standards…, net zero energy and carbon neutral building. By using solar panels, high performance building design, HVAC systems, energy and resource monitoring systems, and energy efficient appliances, the buildings in the Holy Cross Project will use at least 75% less energy than typical buildings. In addition, Global Green is also exploring the use of river turbines in the adjacent Mississipi River.

My favorite part of all of this is that “Global Green has assembled a highly skilled and dedicated project team of national experts paired with local professionals with the goal of transferring knowledge to ultimately make green expertise indigenous to New Orleans.” Teach a ‘hood to fish. True sustainability.

So, where does the “pink thing” come in, you ask? Well, The Pink Project is a huge installation, combining architecture, film, and art to raise funds for the rebuilding effort in New Orleans. Check out the super cool concept and more on the Make It Right website.

On December 3rd, over 100 pink houses will be unveiled along the Industrial Canal in the Lower 9th Ward. Upon commencement, the components of each house will lay haphazard on the site. It is only through monetary donations that these pink placeholders become reassembled, registering the effects of a collective consciousness, ultimately enabling the construction of 150 real homes.

If you already didn’t know it, the building industry is the largest US consumer of energy, clocking in with a whopping 48% of the total US consumption. Buildings are also the largest source of greenhouse gas emmisions, worldwide. From a positive perspective, this information gives us the most concrete place to have an incredible impact on reversing global warming. And Ed Mazria and his non-profit based Architecture 2030 proposes just that with their 2030 Challenge. The proposal states that by the year 2030, to prevent “catastrophic” climate change, the building sector must become carbon neutral. Architecture 2030 reminds us that “these targets are readily achievable.” To accomplish this, they have set forth the following goals:

All new buildings, developments and major renovations shall be designed to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or country) average for that building type.

At a minimum, an equal amount of existing building area shall be renovated annually to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or country) average for that building type.

The fossil fuel reduction standard for all new buildings shall be increased to:
60% in 2010
70% in 2015
80% in 2020
90% in 2025
Carbon-neutral in 2030 (using no fossil fuel GHG emitting energy to operate).
These targets may be accomplished by implementing innovative sustainable design strategies, generating on-site renewable power and/or purchasing (20% maximum) renewable energy and/or certified renewable energy credits.

An interesting interview with Ed Mazria is featured on inhabitat dot com, exploring the issues of climate change, sustainable design, architectural education and the 2030 Challenge.

I am also excited to report that the Savannah Chapter of the USGBC and SCAD are sponsoring An Evening with Ed Mazria October 9th at the Trustees Theater. It is free and open to the public, but space is limited. I’m not sure exactly what that means, really, but I guess it means get there early to scavenge a seat.

[via Martin Melaver]