Boulder County, Colo. – The Paradigm Pilot project, a Boulder County Housing & Human Services Housing Development project, has received the Second Place award in the Denver Regional Council of Government’s (DRCOG) 2010 Local Government Awards Program for Collaboration.

The ‘Paradigm Pilot Project: A Blueprint for Change’ follows the design, development and testing of new sustainable building technologies in two affordable housing units of the Boulder County Housing Authority (BCHA). The duplex and single-family affordable housing units are located at 900 Avalon in Lafayette, CO.

Boulder County Housing Development partnered with the City of Denver, City of Lafayette, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Boulder County Workforce, Boulder County Transportation Department, and Boulder County Architects in this innovative project. Paradigm Pilot involved the construction of energy efficient affordable housing units partly funded by Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) funds. The renewable energy features include passive solar, systems built (modular) construction, performance building design, and the use of photovoltaic and geothermal loops. The Paradigm Pilot project’s development timeline was less than a year – from comprehensive plan amendment in November 2008 to certificate of occupancy in September 2009.

“Paradigm allowed us to test new sustainable technologies and building construction methods we hope to implement in the 153-unit Josephine Commons project in Lafayette,” said Scott Simkus, BCHA’s Housing Development Manager. “It laid the foundation for economies of scale while implementing renewable energy and advanced building technologies for a mass production environment.”

For more information, please visit http://www.bouldercounty.org/hhs/pilot.htm.

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