Environmentally Friendly House for Elder Provides Prototype for Future Green Building
A new prototype of environmentally friendly housing will also provide a much needed home for a Puyallup elder in Washington. The "Elder Healthy Home" will be built for the Puyallup Tribal Housing Authority and intends to serve a healthy showcase for future tribal elder housing and affordable green building. It is also the prototype for 20 additional healthy and affordable homes that the Puyallup Housing Authority hopes to build for their elders.
The "Elder Healthy Home" will be constructed to showcase the healthy design and sustainable materials that will be used in the construction. The demonstration home will be the first of its kind on tribal land in the Northwest.
The single-family two-bedroom home has unique features, which include universal design, passive solar, high-performance heating system, and non-toxic materials. The design will be constructed by Martin Luther King Housing Development Association.
The house was designed for the tribe by ECOFAB, a social enterprise providing healthy, affordable and responsive housing, which offers technical assistance and consultation for environmentally friendly housing.
"We saw a need for new way of doing housing on reservations and providing energy efficient, healthy ways to live," said Callie Ridolfi, Managing Director for ECOFAB.
Having been working for the last 20 years in the northwest, doing environmental cleanup and waste management, Ridolfi had seen a lot of tribal populations suffering from cancer and asthma, and could see causes within the houses like lead paint and asbestos. Additionally, inefficient heat sources cause tribal members to burn wood as a heat source, which can be unhealthy, she said. "The idea was to come up with a prototype house plan and specifications that could be used by tribes to design energy efficient housing."
"We decided to participate because we agree that Indian housing hasn’t been built to the best standard," said Annette Bryan, Executive Director of the Puyallup Tribal Housing Authority, who also worked for ten years at the Environmental Protection Agency. "I really believe in this project in terms of sustainable development and environmental protection."
Indoor air quality is going to be a focus of the home. Builders are going to try to use an alternative to carpet, which can contain mold, germs and dust, Bryan said. It was also important to the housing authority that it was a durable home and easy for the tenant to maintain and operate, Ridolfi said.
They are also planning to use recycled materials both inside and outside, including insulation made out of recycled material. Designs call for solar gain to get more heat in the home, and solar panel add-ons are possible. The house will have radiant floor heating and energy efficient windows, which will cut down on energy costs.
Once the home is built it can be compared to other homes and "show if we have saved money on water and heat," Bryan said.
The housing authority had NAHASDA dollars available from previous grant years for development, but had a limited budget. The Martin Luther King Housing Development Association agreed to do the project within those limits and ECOFAB provided the design pro bono.
The housing authority will be documenting the project thoroughly through ECOFAB and will gather lessons learned throughout the project to share with tribes down the road.
"The most difficult thing is keeping the costs low," Bryan said. "When you go green, you spend more up front but the costs savings comes later." Support from her tribe and housing authority has been key in getting the project off the ground. "I have a great team at the housing authority and a great board and without that none of this was possible."
The design process took ECOFAB a year and included housing authorities, elders, green building specialists, indoor air quality and construction experts. After the design was completed the Puyallup decided to host the first home. ECOFAB expects the foundation and framing to be completed in late November. The tribe hosted a ground blessing ceremony and open house on September 20, 2007.
ECOFAB sees this event as a learning opportunity for people on reservation and off. "We want to educate and demonstrate that energy efficient green housing is affordable," Ridolfi said. Puyallup is the first tribe ECOFAB is working with kind of prototype housing, but is in talks with another tribe for future projects.
For the tribe, this home and the potential future elder community is not only a chance to provide an affordable home, it is a chance to provide for the most important members of their community. "Our elders are our most precious resources and highest priority here at the housing authority," Byran said.
By Kimberly Hayes
Contact: Annette Bryan, Puyallup Tribal Housing Authority, (253) 680-5995; Callie Ridolfi, ECOFAB (206) 450-2062; Web: http://www.ecofab.net; for more information on the prototype home: http://www.elderhealthyhome.com.