Justin Diaz
SPIRIT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Imagining a Smaller, More Sustainable Home
EcoBamboo Living
For families without adequate housing, a home does not have to be large to change everyday life.
Justin Diaz, Serena Winter, and Virkin Jimeenez developed EcoBamboo Living around that idea.
Their concept was to create small, approximately 200-square-foot bamboo homes in remote communities. The team hoped the homes could provide a more affordable response to homelessness while also offering an environmentally conscious alternative to traditional construction.
Bamboo gave the team a material that fit both sides of their idea: shelter for people who need it and a design centered on sustainability.
The project received a Hunter Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award during the 2020 competition, which was conducted virtually when the pandemic closed Syracuse University's campus.
Justin and his teammates were still at an early stage, but that is often when an idea most needs encouragement and room to develop.
What your support made possible:
Entrepreneurship Award funding to help Justin and his team continue developing the EcoBamboo Living concept.
Because of you... Justin could explore whether thoughtful design and sustainable materials might provide another path toward safe, affordable housing for people who need it most.