Want to show off that green home?  August 17, 2009 is the submission deadline for the 2009-2010 Western Home Awards.  The Awards are sponsored by Sunset magazine and the American Institute of Architects.  Architects, designers, and owners of new or newly remodeled homes from the 13 Western states are invited to submit completed designs in six categories, including a category for Green Homes.  For details on categories and how to enter, please visit Sunset.

Frank Romero and Michael Deleon (aka “Team Talud”) are headed to the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo to compete nationally in the USGBC’s Natural Talent Design Competition after taking first place in the USGBC Colorado’s competition.  You can now view the first place competition entry here.

David Neiger, Principal at Populus Sustainable Design Consulting, served as an advisor to Team Talud, providing the team with guidance and mentoring on high-performance design and building-integrated energy solutions.  Read more here.

Populus is pleased to announce that Frank Romero and Michael Deleon (aka “Team Talud”) are headed to the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo to compete nationally in the USGBC’s Natural Talent Design Competition after taking first place in the USGBC Colorado’s competition.  David Neiger, Principal at Populus Sustainable Design Consulting, served as an advisor to Team Talud, providing the team with guidance and mentoring on high-performance design and building-integrated energy solutions.

David Neiger of Populus with Team Talud

Regarding the Team’s upcoming trip to compete at Greenbuild in Phoenix, Romero said it was ” just the frosting on the cake – our real goal was to design a building that will stimulate this new way of thinking about the built environment.  We hope that our design can be a model for future buildings.”  In addition, both Romero and Deleon are “very honored honored to represent Colorado and thank the USGBC and Emerging Green Builder’s Colorado for the opportunity.”

Romero and Deleon studied at the University of Colorado at Boulder together where they received their degrees in Environmental Design in Architecture.  Both are inspired by the natural world and feel that the majority of today’s issues can be solved by studying the way nature produces and reproduces organisms and ecosystems.  This approach informed the Team’s design, ultimately contributing to their success in this year’s competition.  The jury of sustainable design industry professionals, including architects and engineers, were impressed by the Team’s holistic approach to the design problems presented by the Competition.  To learn more about the USGBC’s Natural Talent Design Competition, visit USGBC Colorado’s site here.

Team Talud's Project Focuses on Holistic Design

Denver Mayor Hickenlooper delivered the welcoming remarks at the Awards Ceremony.  “Having the Mayor attend the event was special,” said Romero, “it just goes to show you that what we are doing isn’t a fad, but its the future and we are glad to be apart of the movement.”

As the top team in the Colorado competition, Team Talud will go on to compete nationally in the USGBC’s Natural Talent Design Competition at Greenbuild in November.  Populus is proud of the team and grateful for the opportunity to work with such talented young professionals who are dedicated to advancing sustainable design.

The Colorado Sustainable Design Awards is a statewide program founded by ColoradoBiz magazine, AIA Colorado, ULI Colorado and U.S.G.B.C. Colorado.  The program highlights exemplary sustainable architecture and recognizes outstanding design in residential, commercial and civic buildings, as well as master-planned communities.

The program will offer awards in four categories: residential architecture (single-family homes); commercial architecture (office/mixed-use/multi-family buildings); civic architecture; and sustainable communities (land development, urban design and/or master planned communities).  A jury of design professionals will select the finalists and winner in each category.

Projects submitted for consideration must be located within the State of Colorado and completed or entitled by the August 15, 2009 entry submission deadline.

According to the CSDA program description, the program is open to architecture, landscape architecture, planning and engineering firms; builders and developers doing business in Colorado; state or local government; planning and environmental agencies; or others submitting on behalf of Colorado firms.  The CSDA program has no entry fee.

If interested, view the complete program details, including key dates, on the ColoradoBiz magazine website.

We are pleased to announce that David Neiger, Principal at Populus Sustainable Design Consulting served as a sustainable design advisor to Frank Romero and Michael Deleon, a team of finalists in the USGBC Colorado’s Natural Talent Design Competition.  According to the USGBC, the Competition “provides an applied learning experience in the principles of integrated design, sustainability, innovation, and social consciousness, all of which are goals of the US Green Building Council and components of the LEED Green Building Rating System™.”

David Neiger acted as an advisor to the multi-disciplinary team, offering guidance and feedback on sustainable design.  Frank Romero is an Intern Architect at Stephen Sparn Architects, P.C. and is an active member of Emerging Green Builders in Colorado.  Michael Deleon is an Intern Architect at knudson gloss architects and has a passion for photographing the natural environment.

Please join Populus at the Awards Ceremony on June 24^th, 5:30pm at the Wynkoop in Denver to support emerging green designers and builders.  At the ceremony, the top five teams will be presenting their projects to the jury and the Competition winner will be announced.  In addition, Mayor John Hickenlooper will be attending the award ceremony and will deliver the welcoming remarks.

For more information regarding the USGBC Colorado’s Natural Talent Design Competition, visit www.usgbccolorado.org/commitees/green-builders.html or see the event poster, posted here.

You can register for the event by visiting www.usgbccolorado.org/registration.