The next big thing I want to accomplish in my adult life is to own a home. While riding my bike to work in the morning I pick out my favorite houses and think, "I would put the vegetable garden there...flower boxes there...vermi-composter there..." In my mind's eye, I can already see the solar panels. Sadly, my current enthusiasm for a casa to call my own soundly dwarfs the budget to make it happen. Thanks to the women of Sarasota Green Marketplace, however, building your own sustainable home has taken a very convenient (and affordable) turn.
Purchased as an architect designed kit house, "My Green Home In A Box™ is a completely healthy cottage that incorporates universal design features, is affordable, quick to build, hurricane resistant, energy efficient, and pre-designed to be certifiable in several categories including the Florida Green Home Designation of Florida Green Building Coalition."
At a total of 956 square feet, including ground floor, covered porch, loft and upper level storage, the Green Home in a Box is definitely small, but isn't smaller and simpler really better? Looking at the interior mock ups, it looks perfect for two or three humans that really like each other (or in my case, two humans plus a kitty who likes us sometimes). If you need more room, several Green Home in a Box kits can be built together to form a larger structure or small community of homes.
The best part? The designers estimate that a Green Home in a Box can be can be walk-in ready for under $100,000! And for that modest chunk of change, you'll enjoy a solar water heating system by Eco Technologies, Home Front Homes structural insulated panels (SIPs), interior finishes and fixtures from Sarasota Green Marketplace, kitchen cabinets and appliances by Ikea. Hell, the designers will even train the contractor of your choice to build it!
So what do you need to get your own Green Home in a Box? 1. A lot or approved co-housing community site, 2. Financing, and 3. A willing contractor. After that it's only a phone call away!
For more information (and pics!) about Green Home in a Box or Sarasota Green Marketplace, visit www.sarasotagreenmarketplace.com.
Follow Beth Buczynski on Twitter: 
Wow…that is amazing…a bit too small for my family, but amazing none the less!
Now that is what is needed. A green home kit! Probably could do it much less than $100K but hey! why not!
I know, once you do the math, less than 1000 sq. feet is pretty close quarters…but still, for those of use who aren’t DIY minded, the convenience is great!
Heh, it’s great and everything, but I just can’t help but feel like single family homes are inherently unsustainable. If you think about preserving wildlife and farmland interspersed throughout human communities you’d need human residences to be dense. And that means like apartments or condos. (I’m just waiting for an apartment building where the landlord doesn’t cut every possible corner…)
I’d be interested to hear what other people think about the house vs. apartment/condo issue in terms of environmentalism…
Really good point Esther….perhaps the ability to quickly construct small, efficient communities of these houses, or to connect several, is a more sustainable way to put it to use… Readers?
If you just want a small efficient house, I think Tumble Weed homes give more options and use space more efficiently: http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/. However, they aren’t sold as a kit (only as blue prints), and they don’t include the solar panels.
Nice home and afordible price!!!
Green electronics are a part of several electronic systems and solutions to aid in an energy efficient home design.