NBN Online for the week of June 5, 2006

(Plain Text Version) for full graphical version, click here.

In This Issue:

Front Page
Eminent Domain a Hot Topic in State Legislatures
Membership Day Brings in a Record 9,550 New NAHB Members
Climb in Home Prices Slows, With More Slowing to Come
Share Nation's Building News With Your Company's Employees
Coast to Coast
Reality Hits Investors of Vacation Properties
Politics & Government
Flood Insurance Bill Advances in the Senate
State Legislatures Grapple With Ethics Reforms
Economics & Finance
Eye on the Economy: 'Soft Landing' Will Have Rough Spots
Tips
Builder’s Tip: Landscape Fabric As Tarp for Power-Washing
Business Management
Understand Profitability With 10 Best Management Reports
Register for Custom Builder Symposium in Las Vegas
50Plus Housing
Urban Boomers: New Wave of Buyers Heads to the City
Remodelers
Home Owners, Contractors Sound Off About Each Other
Building Systems
CFA Summer Meeting to Examine Residential Market
Women
First Women’s Summit Meets to Form Construction Coalition
Safety
Safety Handbooks Available in English and Spanish
Education
Want to Know More About Designations? Ask an Expert
Education Calendar
Katrina Recovery
Brad Pitt Seeks Sustainable Design for New Orleans
Legal
San Diego Builders Overturn Inclusionary Zoning Law
Legal Action Fund Helps Litigate on Housing Concerns
Codes and Standards
New Hampshire Adds IRC to Its Building Code
Labor
Innovative HBI Program Builds Housing Workforce
Building Products
Lighthouses Being Restored With New Windows and Doors
TV
NAHB-Produced Programs on HGTV & DIY This Week
Endowment
Endowment Awards 10 Associations Matching Funds
Association News
Chudnow and Mitchell Inducted Into Hall of Fame
Those Who Do Can Teach, Too, With NAHB Help
Avoid Credit Card Processing Rate Increases With Solveras
GM $500 Exclusive Offer for NAHB Members
BuilderBooks.com Offers Free Shipping on Books This Month
Find Employees Through NAHB Online Career Center
Calendar of Events
NAHB Career Center

Brad Pitt Seeks Sustainable Design for New Orleans

Friday, June 9, is the last day for online registration to participate in the Sustainable Design Competition for New Orleans.

Sponsored by Global Green and Brad Pitt, the goal of the competition is to generate ideas for sustainable redevelopment of the devastated city that discourages the use of non-renewable resources, helps lower the dependence of its residents on fossil fuels and their byproducts, and interweaves natural and human systems.

“Competitors are urged to think outside the box, but to remember that the box must still be buildable at an affordable price,” according to the contest sponsors. “To serve as a catalyst for the sustainable rebuilding process, this competition asks participants to address several components of neighborhood design, including housing, community facilities and planning.”

There are two stages to the competition.

In the first stage, participants are asked to provide a sustainable urban design on a 1.25-acre site that focuses on a green, healthy multifamily housing building with community center features, along with siting of single-family homes and other environmental features. Submissions will be asked to achieve several sustainable design and green building goals, including net-zero energy goals (e.g., meeting all energy needs for buildings on the site through passive and active strategies). Competitors will provide an architectural design for the apartment complex/daycare center only, in this stage, and the deadline for submissions is July 6.

In the second stage, three to six finalists identified from the first round will draw on their submissions, working with local architects and community groups, to create a plan for selected areas in different neighborhoods of the city. They will design single-family housing and a community facility in the neighborhood, as well as environmental and community features, and will receive $25,000 to complete this phase.

In both stages, competitors are challenged to:

  • Demonstrate advanced yet achievable solutions for sustainable development and construction of each component of the design challenge

  • Develop innovative, progressive architectural and planning solutions that respect and draw from the rich design heritage of New Orleans

  • Incorporate the latest construction and energy-saving technologies

  • Balance sustainability and affordability in a productive dialogue


Cash prizes totaling $25,000 will be awarded at the end of the second stage, with public presentations on Aug. 29.

The competition is open to architects, landscape architects, urban designers, engineers, industrial designers, artists and students. Entrants may submit as individuals or as a part of a team, and multi-disciplinary teams are encouraged.

To register or for more information, click here.


 

Sponsored by
Freddie Mac

 
 
> The GSEs and Housing Affordability: A Necessary But Not Sufficient Condition
> Freddie Mac Keeps America's Eggonomy Stable. Enroll In Eggonomics 101
 
 

Sponsored by
McGraw Hill
Construction

 
 
> Find and manage projects right from your desktop.
> Get your company listed in the new McGraw-Hill Construction Directory.
 
 

Sponsored by
NAHB

 
 
> Design Institute for Builders - June 5-6
> Concrete Technologies Tour - June 11-13
> Custom Builder Symposium - Oct. 27-29