The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Building Materials Reuse Association, the American Institute of Architects, and West Coast Green invite professionals and students to participate in the Lifecycle Building Challenge, a competition seeking designs and ideas that facilitate adaptability, deconstruction, and reuse.
Registration for the challenge is expected to close on April 15, 2007.
In the United States, buildings consume 60 percent of total materials flow (excluding food and fuel) and construction and demolition waste accounts for about one third of total waste generated each year. With current building trends, over 27 percent of existing buildings will be replaced between 2000 and 2030, and over 50 percent of buildings in 2030 will have been built since 2000. Developing innovative design techniques now will make it easier to disassemble and reuse building materials in the future.
Students, architects, reuse experts, engineers, designers, planners, contractors, builders, educators, environmental advocates, and other interested parties nationwide are invited to submit designs and ideas that support disassembly and anticipate the future use of building materials in the following categories:
1) entire buildings
2) building components
3) tools and strategies
Outstanding entries in each category will be recognized, and top student designs will be rewarded $2500 from our sponsor Green Building Blocks.
Free passes to West Coast Green, the largest residential green building conference in the country, will be provided to all winning entrants.
For more information, examples, and registration please visit www.lifecyclebuilding.org.