Design & Architecture (prefab)

Way back in February, TreeHugger was just about the first to rave about the Katrina Cottage, then being shown for the first time at a builder's trade show in Orlando. We liked its scale, affordability and sensitivity. Since then it has taken on a life of its own, has been picked up by Lowes, and has now won the first Cooper-Hewitt People's Design Award. "The Katrina Cottage is a dignified alternative to conventional temporary housing," said Cooper-Hewitt director Paul Warwick Thompson. "Marianne Cusato's design offers a long-term solution for displaced families and I'm thrilled that so many people voted for a socially conscious design that could help thousands in need in the Gulf Coast region." Congratulations to Marianne Cusato, designer of the Katrina Cottage. And remember, TreeHuggers, you saw it here first. ::Cusato Cottages