Architecture for Humanity’s Sioux Falls chapter just released an affordable housing design competition. The competition is open to anyone in the Sioux Falls region, and comes with some serious sustainability standards.

The single-family home must be designed to meet LEED for Homes Platinum standards, as well as be a maximum or 940 square feet and cost just $100,000 or less to build. The winning designer will work with the City of Sioux Falls to create construction documents, with construction set to begin in Summer 2011. This should be fun to watch!

Learn more about the design competition and Architecture for Humanity by downloading this Affordable Housing Competition PDF or visiting their website.

Sioux Falls Green Drinks will host a special edition on October 5 at Minvera’s.

Meet Downtown for a few belts and discuss why sustainable cities depend on a strong urban core. Inspired by the recent movement to build the next Sioux Falls event center downtown.

More details coming soon on the Facebook Page and at siouxfallsgreendrinks.com.

Here’s a nifty special edition announcement to send to your pals: the Green Drinks email.

photo by Heartland Consumers Power DIstrict on http://hcpd.com

Sioux Falls Green Project’s newest supporting partner is celebrating their new green headquarters with an open house today in Madison, SD.  Heartland Consumers Power District is a non-profit wholesale energy provider serving communities in three states, including the City of Sioux Falls.

The new HCPD headquarters were designed by Green Project co-founder Koch Hazard Architects to become our state’s first new LEED Platinum designated building. An open house is taking place from 10a to 2pm today, with a program beginning at 12:15pm featuring South Dakota State University President David Chicoine as keynote. Heartland provides renewable wind energy to power the SDSU campus in Brookings.

Click here to learn more about the process and features of the new green facility Heartland calls home.

Click here to find your way to the new HCPD headquarters on Google Maps.

This year, Plain Green Conference and Marketplace is opening with an exciting event, a Community Service Project, integrating hands-on learning, sustainable building concepts, and community stewardship. Volunteers will build Sioux Falls’ first strawbale building to help the Pettigrew Heights neighborhood. The shed will become a tool library for the neighborhood.

Amert Construction has donated their labor to install the concrete foundation so far. You can follow along on the Chartruese blog as the strawbale shed at Summit House begins to takes shape.

Learn all about Plain Green Conference and Marketplace here.