Barbie has a new dream home and it comes equipped with a green house, solar panels on the roof, zero VOC paint, bamboo flooring, Energy Star appliances, locally sourced and manufactured materials and operable shading devices.
If you grew up loving Barbie, you’re about to re-live some of that adoration with a touch of environmentally friendly thinking and innovative design. The American Institute of Architects held a Barbie Dream House competition to engage and inspire young girls to experience the world of architecture and the range of possibilities that design thinking offers. The outcome? A submission by recent Harvard master’s grads Li and Paklar who believe that Barbie should uphold the “principles set forth by the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) while staying true to all the needs of a classic California girl.”
The winning submission is a four-story, eco-friendly Malibu mansion with signature pink sliding doors and 1,500 sq. ft of entertaining space. The design also includes an open chef’s kitchen, a library and client-meeting room, a full-floor “inspiration room”, a landscaped garden and low-flow fixtures.
While Mattel won’t actually be producing the house and the winning architects will not be receiving any compensation except for press recognition, the competition is a great step for female architects to obtain some recognition in a predominantly male-dominated field.
Source & Photos: FastCoDesign
