Brad Pitt Leads Zero Energy Housing Project

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie hosted a charity dinner this weekend in the Hamptons to raise funds for victims who are still in need of housing two years after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation.

Through his “Make It Right” project, Pitt wants to rebuild a neighborhood in the partcularly hard-hit Ninth Ward with sustainable green homes. He has teamed up with Matt Petersen, President and CEO of Global Green, as the lead funding partner for the Holy Cross Project, which launched earlier this month. Petersen says this project is, “what we hope will become the future of green affordable housing and a cornerstone of New Orleans’ rebuilding efforts.”

Global Green sponsored an international design competition among more than 125 firms last summer to create a zero-energy, affordable housing development. According to Petersen, the winning design of this Holy Cross Project offers water, energy and natural resource conservation, indoor air quality and durability. The homes will be built with green products and innovative materials like eco-friendly termite- and mold-resistant wood, soy-based foam insulation and wheat boards, and the solar generated electricity will be more than enough to power the entire home.

Petersen says, “The principles we are applying are simple at their core: if only 50,000 homes in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast were rebuilt according to even 40% of the energy and resource standards used in these homes, the residents would save up to $56 million in electricity costs and reduce global warming pollution by 550,000 tons each year.”

Pitt sees it as a justice issue: “What we saw (with) Katrina is that there is a portion of our society that’s being overlooked. Maybe we can provide a better way of life. That has to deal with justice and fairness. I think this place proves that this technology, this healthier way of life, this better way of life, is applicable to all economic levels. This makes sense, and it’s something I’m very proud of.”