Habitat for Humanity of Washington D.C., The New School and D.C. Government to Celebrate World Environment Day

District's First Passive House—a New Model for Affordable, Green Housing—Welcomes Deanwood Community for Day of Construction Tours and Workshops

WASHINGTON, May 29, 212 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A team of students from Parsons The New School for Design, The Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy at The New School, and Stevens Institute of Technology have partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. and the D.C. local government to build the first Passive House in D.C., Empowerhouse. Today's highest energy standard, a Passive House consumes 90 percent less energy than a typical home, making Empowerhouse a new model for affordable housing. The house, which first debuted at the Solar Decathlon, has been moved to Deanwood and is now being expanded to accommodate two families. It is expected to be completed this fall.

WHO: 
John E. Hall, Director, District Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
Christophe A.G. Tulou, District Department of the Environment (DDOE)
Sylvia Brown, ANC Commissioner 7C-04
Susanne Slater, President and CEO, Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C.
Laura Briggs, Chair of Sustainable Design, Parsons The New School for Design
Siena Shaw, Graduate and Empowerhouse Team Member, Parsons The New School for Design
Residents and Civic Leaders from Deanwood
Lakiya Culley, Community Resident and Homeowner Candidate for Empowerhouse

PHOTO OPS: Civic and government leaders, students, and the homeowner candidate help install a green roof on the Empowerhouse; Tours of project under construction.

WHEN:  Saturday, June 2, 10 a.m.

WHERE: Gault Place NE, between Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave NE & 46th St NE

BACKGROUND:

The Solar Decathlon is an international competition hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy that challenged collegiate teams from around the world to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses, which were exhibited on the National Mall Sept. 23–Oct. 2, 2011. The Empowerhouse team of students from Parsons, Milano and Stevens took the competition beyond the Mall, by designing and constructing their house for a specific site in the Deanwood neighborhood of Washington D.C. Each house is designed as a "net-zero" system (producing all of its energy needs). For more information, visit www.empowerhouse-dc.org.

Media Contacts:
Heather Phibbs, Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C., 202.882.4600 x233 or [email protected]

Deborah Kirschner, The New School, 917-239-7696 or [email protected]

SOURCE Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C.