The design of the house was selected from over 175 entries received from architects across North America. The challenge of the competition was to design an affordable home which was simple to construct but offered many unexpected amenities. Constraints included working with a 25 x 100 ft. lot to accommodate a 1200 sq. ft. house with three bedrooms and one-and-half baths. They had criteria for the first floor footprint of 600sq. ft. or 800 sq. ft. including the porches and a construction budget of $50/sq. ft.
Florida architect Edward Binkley of The Evans Group says of his winning design, "A home should offer its inhabitants pride of ownership and many years of happiness in an environment that is easy to live in and care for. Since the family who moves into this home may not have all the necessary furnishings, I have included extra design details including TV shelves, bunk beds and a home office which overlooks the stairway.
"And through the use of structural insulated panels, an insulated foundation and engineered wood products we are able to lower energy costs which is very important to a family with a limited income."
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