A team of students from Syracuse University, SUNY-ESF and Onondaga Community College recently won the grand award for the single detached home category in a national competition organized by the Department of Energy and the National Association of Homebuilders.
The team designed a Craftsman-style home with sustainable features for a Land Bank-owned vacant lot situated at 201-205 Hubbell Ave in Syracuse’s Strathmore neighborhood. The design of the home allows for net-zero energy consumption. It also has accessible features making it livable to any person regardless of physical abilities. The construction is also affordable to any homeowner who has a median income within Onondaga County. Its design is also compatible with the existing neighborhood’s architecture.
The development also supports the advocacy of Smart Growth patterns as it employs “infill” construction on buildable lots within urbanized areas. This type of construction also has lower energy usage in terms of transportation. The Greater Syracuse Land Bank encourages these types of developments and according to the team, they are seeking for a local builder that can help complete the project which is estimated to be built and sold for $190,000.
The team is composed of three students from SU- Jeff Chen, a Ph.D. Candidate in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and currently a graduate student in civil/construction engineering and sustainable infrastructure development; Zhazhou Meng, a Ph.D. Candidate in the College of Engineering and currently a graduate student in mechanical and aerospace engineering; and Talia Horner, an undergraduate student in industrial and interaction design in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
The team was sponsored by Home Builders and Remodelers of Central New York, King+king Architects, Central New York Center of Excellence, Hueber-Breuer, Parsons-McKenna, QPK Design, Destiny USA and Home HeadQuarters.
