GREENFIELD, NH — Officials from the Open Prototype Initiative, a collaboration between Bensonwood Homes of Walpole , NH and the MIT House_n Research Consortium, gathered at Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center on June 19^th to kick off the construction of "Open_1," a prototype house designed to bring innovation, higher quality and affordability to the construction industry.

Open_1 will be a three-story 28-by-46-foot house, and shall serve as a transitional residence for clients leaving Crotched Mountain 's Brain Injury Center . Open_1 will demonstrate "green" building concepts, advanced tracking of energy use and ways to promote healthier lifestyles through advanced construction methods. The design and construction processes will also demonstrate the ways that buildings of the future will be assembled using integrated systems for plumbing, heating and cooling, exterior walls and individualized interior design choices. Open_1 will also demonstrate how to build homes with significantly less waste and greater efficiency of labor and materials.

In his welcoming remarks, Don Shumway, president and CEO of Crotched Mountain introduced Richard Lamb, one of three Brain Injury Center clients who will be living in the house once it is completed. Expressing his feelings on this historic occasion, Mr. Lamb noted "I have known since I was 16 that this [disability] would happen to me. How lucky and blessed I feel, to be sitting here today."

Kent Larson, director of the MIT House_n Research Consortium, explained "The kinds of clients served by Crotched Mountain represent the kinds of challenges that many more people will be facing in the next 5-10-20 years ahead as the baby boomers age." Noting that "architects aren't involved in the kind of housing most people line in," Larson commended Bensonwood Homes for their commitment for improving the lives of average Americans, particularly those with disabilities. He continued to say that "Bensonwood is transforming construction from "on-site, cut-and-fit every little piece building to 'integrated assembly' that involves 40 or so pieces that can be connected on site."

Tedd Benson, president of Bensonwood Homes, remarked "Walls have never been built before with complete units of mechanical systems. It's a new definition of 'modular'. A modular elevator shaft! We are not declaring success yet, but whatever happens, we have triumphed already. We have new friends, new partners, and a new way of working for our team." He concluded his remarks by introducing each member of the construction crew including employees of Bensonwood Homes and subcontractors from MacMillan Company of Keene .

The architect and designer of the home, Eli Gould of Bensonwood Homes, worked closely with a team of therapists from the Brain Injury Center to address three priorities: creating a highly accessible living space using universal design principals; promoting good health by incorporating systems to monitor and measure indoor air quality; and obtaining high levels of energy efficiency and sustainability through use of "green" building practices.

On the first day, sections of the first floor were put into place using cranes, with the house beginning to take shape in only hours. The entire house will be built in only 20 working days using environmentally and energy efficient designs and materials, and will include innovations like cabinets and appliances adapted for use by people using a wheelchair. The Open Prototype Initiative is deploying advanced designs, materials, systems and fabrication strategies, demonstrating how high-quality, sophisticated, and personalized homes can be built more cost-effectively and in less time. These innovations will be shared with the building industry to help improve home building in America .

Further information about Open_1, including related links and a live webcam of the construction site, is available on the rehabilitation center's website: OPEN_1. link on the Crotched Mountain website.

Crotched Mountain is a charitable organization employing more than 900 people. Its mission is to serve individuals with disabilities and their families, embracing personal choice and development, and building communities of mutual support. Crotched Mountain provides specialized education, rehabilitation, community, and residential support services for more than 2,000 consumers, including individuals with disabilities and the elderly, living in New England and New York . For direction and further information about Crotched Mountain , please visit their web site: www.crotchedmountain.org

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