From the ground up

It is said that the history of modern architecture can be observed through the evolution of the single-family home. Over generations, each has hoped to improve on the last, rethinking and reinventing this seemingly simple building type. At certain historic moments in the discourse, new ideas about domesticity have given form to radically different configurations of home and community. Current emphasis on sustainability presents a unique opportunity to design affordable houses that respond to specific economic, social, and environmental challenges. In From the Ground Up editor Peggy Tully presents the results of an international competition to create new models for affordable high-performance green homes in urban residential neighborhoods. Developed for a vacant infill site in Syracuse's Near Westside, these ambitious projects offer an array of innovative designs that provide a new vision for once-vital urban residential neighborhoods and well-designed energy-efficient homes throughout the United States