Inhabitat » Mission Possible? LEED Certified Homes for $100K

July 11, 2008

Mission Possible? LEED Certified Homes for $100K

100K Home Project, Philadelphia green building, LEED certified Philadelphia, Postgreen, Interface Studio Architects, Level 5 Construction, Postgreen Philadelphia, Interface Studio Architects Philadelphia, Level 5 Construction Philadelphia, green building, sustainable design, urban infill Philadelphia, modern green homes Philadelphia, 100k_1.jpg

A team of Philadelphia-based green building visionaries have joined efforts to build a LEED certified home for $100K. After experiencing frustration at the lack of available modern, green, affordable homes, developer Postgreen, Interface Studio Architects and building company Level 5 Construction have set out to construct a 1,000 sq ft home for $100 per sq foot, and get it LEED certified.

The100K House Project was started back in the fall of 2007 with two urban infill lots in East Kensington in Philadelphia. Their blog posts detail the process as they build out these homes, and include pictures, floorplans, LEED checklists, builder spec plans and even a construction budget. It’s a shame no one got the rights for a reality TV show for this, but the project team is diligently documenting the progress online.

As one intent of the 100K House Project is to get LEED certified, many green features will be incorporated into the project. Some of these features include, solar thermal hot water, rainwater collection, low-flow fixtures, radiant in floor heating, passive air conditioning, ERV and dehumidifier, efficient lighting, SIP construction, low VOC finishes, and drought tolerant landscaping that is 100% permeable.

These homes will be for sale once they break ground and the expected asking price will be around $200 - $250K. These houses are an attempt to meet the demand of average income consumers dreaming of a modern yet healthy and sustainable home. The team has placed a high priority on modern architectural design and cost effective green building. In order to build an affordable home, the focus is on providing the best building envelope and mechanical design rather than on high-end finishes.

+ Postgreen
+ Interface Studio Architects
+ Level 5 Construction

12 Responses to “Mission Possible? LEED Certified Homes for $100K”

Shmoodog Says:

July 11th, 2008 at 6:09 pm

I’ll take one! The only problem right now with going green for most people is the up-front price.

leafpure Says:

July 12th, 2008 at 2:50 am

I don’t understand why a $100K house will be sold for $200-250K…?

cmkavala Says:

July 12th, 2008 at 7:45 am

it is possible with steel SIPs that can be left un finished on the exterior
http://www.southernsips.com

MikeFord Says:

July 12th, 2008 at 10:32 am

They will be sold for 200-250 because they will have land under them, plus no one asked the builder not to make money on the project. I think it’s a great idea, it’s something I’ve been trying to accomplish for a while. Way to go!

chadludeman Says:

July 12th, 2008 at 12:52 pm

leafpure - The $100K only covers the hard construction costs. We also need to cover the cost of the land and the many soft costs that go into developing in Philadelphia. Also, the corner house will cost more than $100K to build, so it will be sold closer to $250K…

Sergius Says:

July 12th, 2008 at 1:07 pm

Well done! The exterior can be worked still I suppose, looks like a 30\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’s bauhaus project. But WHY it will cost 200-250K? when the whole idea was 100K? is that the land cost? Or just a amrketing trick? Or maybe the same idea withh 100 USD laptop for African kids which first costed 300 and now sells for around 500.

Bridgette Steffen Says:

July 12th, 2008 at 3:37 pm

For clarification, the sale price of the houses is $200-250K because it includes the cost of the lot and a little extra for the team involved. I believe the blog says they bought each lot for around $100K.

nestliving Says:

July 12th, 2008 at 6:27 pm

I love the interior’s!

ChristinaChan Says:

July 13th, 2008 at 5:46 pm

I really like the concept of being able to build a home more affordably. I guess by the time all is said and done, the house will work out to be about $200-250 a square foot.