The Natural Talent Design Competition
USGBC's Natural Talent Design Competition provides applied learning experience in the principles of integrated design, sustainability, and innovation, all of which are components of the LEED green building certification program. Participants compete in local, chapter-based competitions, and the top winner in each chapter moves on to compete for a national award at USGBC’s annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo. Awards include green building scholarships, as well as travel and registration to Greenbuild, where finalists’ entries are displayed and final judging occurs.
The 2010 Competition
USGBC's 2010 Natural Design Competition, in partnership with Salvation Army’s EnviRenew Initiative, is focused on the rebuilding effort in New Orleans. Competitors will be divided into students and emerging professionals groups and will design a LEED for Homes project that is priced affordably and is functional for elderly occupants. Up to four designs will be selected from the local competition finalists to be showcased at Greenbuild 2010 and, for the first time, the designers will see their projects built in New Orleans’ 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.
The Competition Schedule:
- January 4, 2010 - Competition opens
- March 1, 2010 - Early registration closes
- May 31, 2010 - Submission period closes
- June, 2010 - Chapters judge local entries
- July, 2010 - Chapters host local awards ceremonies
- August 27, 2010 - National finalists announced
- September, 2010 - National finalists travel to New Orleans
- November 17-19, 2010 - National finalists recognized at Greenbuild
- October, 2011 - Grand Prize awarded at Greenbuild 2011
- GO TO THE 2010 COMPETITION!
- The 2010 competition is being hosted on the Open Architecture Network, Architecture For Humanity's online community. Find out more details by heading to the competition page on OAN.
- View The Competition Entries
- All of the competition entries are now available for public viewing on the Open Architecture Network. Stay tuned for the announcement of Local Finalists on August 2
- Meet our National Jury (PDF)
- The 2010 competition boasts a wealth of nationally renowned designers and humanitarians. Learn more about them and their work.
- EnviRenew
- Learn more about our partner in the 2010 competition and their extensive work in rebuilding New Orleans.
- View the Program Description (PDF)
- View the full, in-depth program description for the competition and learn all of the details for the 2010 Competition. Includes basic design requirements, site description, and much more.
- Watch the Broadmoor Video
- This video, created by the Clinton Global Initiative, examines the damage to Broadmoor and the commitment to rebuild the neighborhood after Katrina.
- Watch the Competition Video
- This video gives an explanation of the EnviRenew initiative, the particulars of the design competition, and how they fit together.
- LEED for Homes
- Learn more about LEED for Homes and how it sets the standard for green homes.
- View the 2009 Winners (PDF)
- The 2009 winners, 2nd place, and runner up teams can be viewed here.
- Green Affordable Housing Podcast
- Listen to USGBC's Green Affordable Housing podcast to learn more about what USGBC is doing for affordable housing in New Orleans.