Babylon opens contest to build green homes

The Town of Babylon has announced the start of an annual contest to design affordable and sustainable green homes.

"We intend to show with this competition that you can build both green and sustainable and affordable homes at the same time," said town Supervisor Steve Bellone, adding that developers have always feared that green means higher costs.

The Attainable Green Home Competition is open to both students and professionals and seeks a design that addresses issues of affordability, sustainability, efficiency and environmental design. The town said the home will be built on a vacant lot on North 15th Street in Wyandanch by the United Way of Long Island's Youthbuild Program in conjunction with local contractors and volunteers. Bellone said the home will be a model for the region and the country and help bring "green into the mainstream."

Bellone announced the competition Tuesday standing in the 75-by-100-square-foot lot the town acquired from the county for affordable housing. He said the lot, located in the center of the economically depressed Wyandanch community where the town has been promoting a long-term revitalization project, "really represents something significant" as a part of this competition. "It's about how we leverage the green economy to help rebuild lives and communities," he said.

The competition is the first project under a new partnership, Attainable Long Island, made up of the town, U.S. Green Building Council, United Way of Long Island and LIPA.

Theresa Regnante, president and chief executive of United Way of Long Island, said the partnership shows that "Long Island does have a can-do spirit" and that green affordable homes can be built.

"Energy efficient, affordable home ownership is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity," said Michael Deering, LIPA's vice president of environmental affairs.

A professional winner will receive $10,000, while a student winner will receive a scholarship. The deadline for submissions is June and a winner will be announced in August, with an anticipated groundbreaking in October.

The Attainable Green Home Competition Requirements

Professionals: Can enter as an individual or as a team and may enter as many designs as they wish but each design must be treated as a separate entry and at least one member of team must have a current New York State professional license. The initial entry fee is $75, and $100 for each subsequent entry.

Students: Can enter as an individual or part of a team but team leaders must be identified and all entrants must show proof of current school enrollment. Students are limited to a single entry. The entry fee is $10.

Registration for the competition begins at 9 a.m. on Jan. 31 and ends at 5 p.m. on May 20.

For design requirements and other information on the competition, visit attainableli.com/ or call the Town of Babylon at 631-957-3000.