The Solar Decathlon Team from Ball State University’s R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning invites you to the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Alley House, a small-footprint, net-zero, sustainable two-family home on an infill lot in Indianapolis’ Near Eastside. Englewood Community Development Corporation (ECDC) and Gratus Development collaborated on the Alley House, an interdisciplinary student team design build. Construction is scheduled to begin in August 2022 and end in April 2023.

The event includes several education stations about this duplex, yard games, interactive activities for young children, and light refreshments. There will also be a brief ceremony, where a few speakers will address the event attendees. Open to anyone who would like to come check out this amazing project! 

Time and Date: 4:30 – 6:30pm with a Ceremony at 5:30pm

Location: 201 N. Temple Ave, in the Indianapolis neighborhood of Westminster/St. Philip Neri (on the city’s Near Eastside). This is the site where the duplex, referred to as the “Alley House,” will be built.

Interactive stations at the event:

Building Footprint
Attendees will be able to “enter” the area where the home will be—walking across the scale footprint of the first floor on the site. Also, media and the general public can learn about the duplex through models, booklets, and presentations done by the team.

What is the Solar Decathlon Build Challenge?
Learn more about the challenge competition, and the organization behind the competition, the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL).

Sustainable Sites Initiative
Learn what this certification is and see examples of sustainable features that will be incorporated into the landscape.

Passive House
Learn about this certification through full-scale mock-ups and more.

Seeking Public Opinion
Using renderings, markers, stickers and more, attendees can share their recommendations about certain design aspects of the Alley Hous