N.C. State team wins national green building contest

A team of student designers from N.C. State University was one of three that took first place at the U.S. Green Building Council's Natural Talent Design Competition held last month in Denver, according to an announcement from Advanced Energy.

The members of the North Carolina's winning team were Andrew Darab, Frank Giordano, Eric Jabaley, K.C. Kurtz and Susan Ungerleider. They represented the state in the national competition after winning the N.C. Sustainable Building Design Competition coordinated by Advanced Energy and the Triangle chapter of Emerging Green Builders. The team was guided by Tom Barrie, director of the School of Architecture at N.C. State, and Randy Lanou of the Durham-based firm BuildSense.

The winning design is currently being constructed by N.C. Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Catawba Valley, Chatham County and Orange County. It integrates sustainable design strategies including passive-solar and energy-efficient elements while preserving affordability, with materials costing $46 per square foot.