PRLog (Press Release) -
Mar 05, 2010 -
Freegreen.com is challenging design firms to develop affordable green home designs that fit contemporary lifestyles. The single-family home is the most commonly built building in America, but fewer than 5% of homes built in America have direct involvement with an architect. The challenge of the Who’s Next competition is to re-envision the typical single-family home in an ecologically conscious manner that also reflects today’s modern lifestyle.
from studio|SKETCHWORKS:
3|SQUARE urban home is our contemporary interpretation of the iconic American Foursquare (1890–1930)
. The American Foursquare was plain, often incorporating handcrafted "honest" woodwork, but was also a part of the industrial revolution and could be ordered as a stock plan with materials shipped in by train. As with other styles in streetcar suburbs, it was tailored to relatively narrow lots, and was multi-story, allowing more square footage on a smaller footprint. 3|SQUARE is firmly rooted in that heritage, but leaps forward to respond to today's (and tomorrow's) emergent need for responsible growth and healthier density in an attempt to preserve our precious natural resources.
3|SQUARE is comprised of 3 individual (but connected) 1,665-square-
foot homes sited on a 75' x 150' corner urban lot bound with an alley at the rear of the property. In today’s climate of rampant suburban sprawl, economic meltdowns, and environmental mishaps, we need to consider letting go of the suburban single-family home as the archetype for family living, and look to urban living once again.
3|SQUARE offers sustainability by increasing density while maintaining the identity and amenities available in a single-family home. Our cities offer incredible potential for walkability, closeness to culture and social infrastructure, and the chance to let go of the reins of the car (even just a little).
Public voting: March 2nd to March 17th, 2010.
Competition voting page for studio|SKETCHWORKS:
http://www.freegreen.com/whosnext/view/plan-general.aspx ...
3|SQUARE urban home independent website:
http://www.wix.com/studiosketchworks/3squarePhoto:
http://www.prlog.org/10561932/1studio|SKETCHWORKS is a Shenandoah Valley–based design | arts | development collaborative which is passionate about creating innovative and imaginative places | spaces | things.
WE ARE: designers | developers | collaborators
WE DESIGN: spaces + places | websites | graphics | installation art | public art | furniture (and maybe even an occasional t-shirt)
WE DEVELOP: small-scale [urban | village | downtown] real estate (ok, when the economy improves!)
WE HELP: nonprofits fulfill their mission of helping others
WE COLLABORATE: across disciplines | mediums | trades
WE'RE INSPIRED: by the weird relationships between clothes and buildings, graphics and geography, people and emotions
WE DON'T: adhere to a specific style, do 'colonial,' or follow trends for the sake of it
WE LOVE: to help dreamers, nonprofits, and small institutions accomplish their missions
WE MUST: have coffee breaks several times a day—for inspiration, of course
