Finalists of USGBC 2010 Natural Talent Design Competition: Small, Green, Affordable

A round of finalists has been selected from the first phase of the Natural Talent Design Competition, hosted by the the Salvation Army and the U.S. Green Building Council. A total of 49 designs were chosen as local finalists from 27 of USGBC's chapters. These 49 projects will now be assessed by the national jury, and winners will be announced on Monday, August 30. Entrants were invited to design an affordable, 800 square foot green home for an elderly client in the Broadmoor, New Orleans neighborhood.

The USGBC's 2010 Natural Design Competition is focused on the rebuilding effort in New Orleans. Up to four designs will be selected from the local competition finalists to be showcased at Greenbuild 2010 Expo and, for the first time, the designers will see their projects built in the Broadmoor neighborhood. Once the homes are built, they will enter a measurement and verification phase in which they will be graded on energy efficiency, water reuse, and indoor air quality among other categories. The design team whose home performs best during measurement and verification will be awarded the final grand prize in 2011.

Click here to see the entire list of finalists.