GreenBuild and Energy+: Integrative Design of Affordable Sustainable Housing in Education

The primary objective of U.N. Sustainable Development Goal #11—Sustainable cities and human settlements—is to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”. “Providing adequate shelter for all” is the first objective of Chap. 7 of Agenda 21. Localization, defined in paragraph 89 of the 2030 agenda, is linked to the experience and leadership of a “wide range of stakeholders” and “inclusive processes”. Through this “bottom-up” approach local needs and methods for realizing sustainable affordable housing can be accomplished. Integrative and regenerative design frameworks are applied to simultaneously address holistic housing design and leadership skills necessary to contribute to sustainable development projects. This paper presents an iterative university-community partnership for housing, new and retrofit, that is responsible to the residents and the community. It brings together two university-based research centers, three entities responsible for providing affordable housing in a community underserved in this market, and students from multiple disciplines across the university. The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Design Challenge, an annual intercollegiate competition dedicated to “build[ing] a global community of current and future professionals,” attracts continuous student engagement. The collaboration and partnerships forged ensure local impact. Multidisciplinary, cross-college curricular and extra-curricular initiatives engaging students with project clients and professionals to gain experience in integrative regenerative design practices are described. Students are central to capacity building and longevity of the program and partnerships. This chapter highlights the mutually beneficial teaching and learning opportunities that real-world relationships bring to educating the Sustainability Leaders of the Future.