Greening Homeowners: A Collaborative Educational Challenge

Abstract

Greening homeowners is the result of a National Center for Environmental Research, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency initiative titled P3 Award: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability focusing on People, Prosperity, and the Planet. This article described the research proposal developed for the competition that outlined a model for collaborative, sustainable research-based student projects. While the focus of the student design project is on educating the consumer by developing an environmental information distribution mechanism (IDM), the desired outcome is that consumer demand will drive an increase in green home building and design, not as an upgrade or an add-on, but as an accepted building standard. Greening homeowners can be integrated into both core and elective courses, or it can be an extracurricular experience through student chapter or club activities. As a result of student participation in what is envisioned as a collaborative educational experience, the students will produce an IDM for environmentally preferable products in home building industry practices. The IDM will include material specifications and green building techniques for various levels of sustainability and matrices for examining the cost benefit analysis of traditional versus green building and design materials and techniques. The IDM will provide consumers with the means for encouraging the home building industry to use environmentally preferable products and processes in the design, renovation, and construction of their homes.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rebecca J. Sweet

Rebecca J. Sweet is Assistant Professor and Katherine Warsco is Associate Professor and Chairperson, Department of Interior Design and Merchandising, and Robert A. Chin is Professor, Department of Technology Systems, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.

Katherine Warsco

Rebecca J. Sweet is Assistant Professor and Katherine Warsco is Associate Professor and Chairperson, Department of Interior Design and Merchandising, and Robert A. Chin is Professor, Department of Technology Systems, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.

Robert A. Chin

Rebecca J. Sweet is Assistant Professor and Katherine Warsco is Associate Professor and Chairperson, Department of Interior Design and Merchandising, and Robert A. Chin is Professor, Department of Technology Systems, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.