If all rich and famous actors used their superpowers for good the way that Brad Pitt does, the world would be a much better place! Last week at the Clinton Global Climate Initiative, the altruistic actor received an award from the USGBC for his commendable efforts to rebuild New Orleans with sustainable housing. Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation, a project near and dear to our hearts at Inhabitat, is working to rebuild a section of New Orleans that was badly hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. So far, only 13 houses have been rebuilt, but a total of 150 is planned, and will make a big difference in the lives of those families who move in.
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Houses built by the Make It Right Foundation focus on energy efficiency, quality construction, ability to withstand major storms and even generate their own power with solar systems on the roof. There are 13 different esteemed architects who have designed homes for the project including William McDonough + Partners with their 100% Cradle to Cradle Flow House. All the homes will also undergo LEED certification with the hopes of receiving a Platinum rating.
Brad Pitt spoke at the conference last week to update everyone on the project’s progress and expound on the necessity of continuing to build sustainable houses. The USGBC award was given to Pitt not only for the work the Foundation has accomplished, but also for Pitt’s effort to expand awareness on sustainable home construction. Completed homes are already reporting benefits for the residents with significant savings – monthly electric bills are only $35 a month.
“‘Make It Right’ has exceeded my expectations,” Pitt said. “Our criteria from the beginning were at odds, to say the least. We demanded that these homes be sustainable, that they have aesthetic qualities … that they be storm resilient and take safety in mind of the families who live there and that they would be affordable.”
Keep up the great work Brad. Also, we kinda dig the beard.
+ Make it Right
+ Clinton Global Initiative
Via Ecorazzi
[...] Make It Right is currently up for a Pepsi Refresh Grant worth $250,000, which would be used to provide green features for Make It Right homes, like solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, tankless water heaters, water-efficient fixtures, and rainwater cisterns. The winner for this large grant is chosen by us through online voting, which lasts until July 31st. Certainly all of the organizations up for the grant are worthy, but putting money towards energy-efficient homes for people who need them is a topic near and dear to our hearts — so vote for Make It Right today! [...]