Green Dollhouse Challenge
Awards | Rules | Events | Registration | Inspiration | Donate
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In our Green Dollhouse Challenge, participants of all ages, from pre-schoolers to experienced architects, build model play-houses to explore sustainability, including concepts and technologies related to energy production, energy use, efficiency, materials, architecture, utility, aesthetics, appreciation of nature, renewable resources, true wealth, healthy living, clean air, and clean water.
Participants build during the year, then submit designs and buildings to a jury for judging and display at a culminating event during the spring or summer.
Awards
Participants strive for awards based on achievement, not competition. This project is well suited to youth groups, technology and engineering courses, home-school families, hobbyists, and architects who want to explore visions of sustainability in a playful setting.
Awards for notable work will be given in the following (and possibly more) categories—mouse over to read details, or go to our complete guide to award categories:
- •Aesthetics
- •Computer Aided Design
- •Craft
- •Cuisine
- •Daylighting
- •Design process
- •Documentation
- •Economics
- •Electrification
- •Fenestration
- •Hand sketching
- •Heating, ventilation, and cooling
- •Innovation
- •Insulation
- •Interior design
- •Journal
- •Landscape
- •Lighting design
- •Lighting performance
- •Local Resources
- •Photovoltaic integration
- •Playability
- •Re-use
- •Realism
- •Recycling
- •Renewable energy
- •Research
- •Resource sharing
- •Retrofits
- •Robustness
- •Simple Living
- •Waste reduction
Rules are simple. We reserve the right to update the rules:
- •Entrants and jurors will be provided with the same rubric describing what will be considered as excellent in every category.
- •Entrants are willing to show their designs at the State Fair or other regional showcase during or after the challenge.
- •For some events entrants may be asked to pay a small fee.
- •Buildings will be robust enough to allow children to play with them safely.
- •Designs, buildings, and/or intended play will involve sustainability.
- •Buildings will fit in a box one meter on each side. Unfolding to a larger size is allowed.
- •Jurors decisions will be final.
Resources
Please see our Project Detail page for up-to-date resources including links and books.
Read our Inspiration page for ideas about buildings, play, and materials.
About EnergyTeachers.org
We are the network of educators interested in energy production and use. Since 2004 we have offered free help, paid consulting, sharing hundreds of ideas on books, lessons, field trips, equipment, projects like this challenge, conferences, and workshops.
EnergyTeachers.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We depend on donations from the public to support educators and help the general public learn more about energy.
Upcoming events
Massachusetts 2024
Date TBD. Please register and we will keep you updated.
How to get involved
Donate building materials
Please use our contact form and indicate you are interested in donating materials.
Donate money
As a public charity, we depend on funding from the general public to keep the event going year after year. Give online right now securely via PayPal or send a check to EnergyTeachers.org, PO Box 670 Ithaca, NY 14851.
Participant registration
People of all ages are invited to register. K-12 students, families, design/build students, and design/build professionals are especially encouraged to work in teams of diverse abilities and interests to generate novel designs.
Partners, jurors
EnergyTeachers.org seeks partners to help organize and sponsor these statewide, annual challenges. Partners can include professionals in architecture, buildings, education, youth leadership, and journalism.
Jurors are selected from architecture, building, academia, design, building performance professionals, education, and journalism.
Juror registration
Please use our contact form and indicate you are interested in becoming a juror.
Partner registration
Please use our contact form and indicate you are interested in becoming a partner.
Past Events
Massachusetts 2014
Held March 1 as part of the Science and Sustainability Expo at Greenfield Community College. See http://gctv.org/videos/science-fun for a nice overview and analysis of the event.
New York State 2013
Held June 29 in Ithaca at the Sustainability Center, 111 N. Albany St.
Massachusetts 2013
Part of the Science and Sustainability Expo at Greenfield Community College, April 13.
http://greeninggreenfield.org/events/380-science-a-sustainability-expo
Massachusetts 2012
Part of the Science and Sustainability Expo at Greenfield Community College, May 5.
http://www.greeninggreenfield.org/events/283-wmascienceasustainatiblityexpo