The Net-Zero Nexus: Low-Cost, High-Space Renewable Housing

Hello, my name is Vinson Chen, and I am an upcoming junior at Staten Island Technical High School in New York. During my sophomore year, I learned how to use Autodesk and Inventor, and I’ve been amazed by the endless possibilities these tools offer for design and innovation. However, I still consider myself a beginner in the field of CAD, and I hope to improve my skills in the future.

I discovered the website through a school job, and I was inspired by the countless amazing projects it featured. The site allowed me to turn my CAD designs and share it with everyone, giving my work a clear purpose. At first I thought I would be at a disadvantage because I only know inventor and didn't know other applications like revit or fusion. However in the end I was still able to make something great with the resources and tools I have

Steps needed in order to build this project

Step 1 - Ideas and thoughts

Step 2 - The Problems that need to be address

Step 3 - Proposed solutions

Autodesk Inventor

Step 4 - Getting started on Inventor

Step 5 - Making the main body of the house (first floor)

Step 6 - Making the main body of the house (second floor)

Step 7 - Add on feature/solutions in order to solve the problems

Step 8 - Adding on extra add ons and other things

Step 9 - Fixing and color coding (finish)

Final Step

Step 10 - Reflection Step

Step 11 - Reference and Acknowledgement

I primarily used Autodesk Inventor and hand-drawn sketches for this project, as I'm still new to CAD and Inventor is the only software I'm currently familiar with.

"I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, one of the five boroughs of New York City. New York City is the largest city in the U.S. by population, and growing up here, I saw how extremely expensive the housing market is. Not only is it expensive, but many homes in the five boroughs are very old and outdated, with most being from 50 to 80 years old.

In Manhattan, the average cost per square foot of land ranges from $1,200 to $2,500. Even in more affordable boroughs like Brooklyn, it costs between $780 and $1,500 per square foot. The average home price in Manhattan is upwards of $1.5 million, while in cheaper boroughs like Brooklyn, it still costs $700,000 to $900,000. Most houses in these areas are decades old, and many don’t use renewable energy at all. Only 30% of New York’s energy comes from renewable sources, with the other 70% relying on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels contribute significantly to pollution and many homes still lack renewable energy options like solar panels.

My goal for this project is to design an affordable, modern house that runs entirely on renewable energy.

Key Problems to Address in NYC Housing:

1. Aging Infrastructure - Most homes are 50-80 years old with outdated designs and systems
2. High Costs - Manhattan's average home price reaches $1.5 million, making ownership unaffordable
3. Lack of Sustainability - Few properties incorporate renewable energy solutions

My house will have to address these issues, and offer a cheap, renewable, and modern house

To create a sustainable energy solution for the house, we will implement both solar and wind power systems to generate electricity. This renewable approach will drastically reduce or potentially eliminate electricity costs while ensuring environmental responsibility. For cost-effective construction, we've selected affordable yet durable materials: asphalt shingles for roofing ($50-$150 per square) compared to premium alternatives like slate or clay tiles ($400-$1,500 per square), combined with sturdy lumber framing for structural integrity. The design incorporates solar panels and a wind turbine for optimal energy efficiency. Additionally, the modern layout includes an essential garage space, meeting contemporary housing needs while maintaining the home's sustainable and affordable objectives.

We start by opening AutoCAD Inventor and creating a rectangle at the bottom of the screen. This rectangle will serve as the base of our design. Once the rectangle is drawn, we extrude it by 10mm to form the ground of the structure.

Next, we start a new sketch on top of the extruded square. On this surface, we draw a stair-like pattern, which will later become the walls of the project. After completing the sketch, we extrude the walls by 100mm to give them height.

These walls also act as dividers, separating the structure into different sections. So far, there are three separate rooms inside the design, each with its own purpose.

After finishing the main house, move to the front and start a new sketch on the ground. Create four rectangular beams and extrude them upward until they reach the same height as the house walls—this will form the porch structure. Next, draw a rectangle on the porch surface to connect all four beams, creating a solid floor. For the roof, sketch a triangle on the side of the porch and extrude it, giving the porch a triangular shape. Then, on the opposite side (left of the porch), place a new plane and draw a rectangle connecting to the house. Offset another plane from the roof, make a small sketch, and use the loft command to blend it into the roof, resulting in a triangular roof over that section of the house.

After completing the main structure of the house, the next step is to create the second floor. Begin by drawing a rectangular shape that connects and covers the middle section of the existing house layout. Make sure this rectangle aligns properly with the walls below to ensure structural consistency. Once you've drawn this shape, use the extrude tool to pull it upward by 110mm - this will form your second floor platform, creating a clean rectangular addition to the house's upper level. With the middle section now established, move to the far right side of the structure where you'll create another rectangular sketch on the surface. When you extrude this right-side section, it will significantly increase the building's height and volume, effectively covering or eliminating any undesirable gaps or design elements you wish to conceal. This box-like extension approach offers multiple advantages: it maximizes the available interior space, creates a more substantial and complete appearance for the house, and provides a solid foundation for any future additions or modifications you might want to make to the structure. The simplicity of the rectangular design allows for easy expansion while maintaining structural integrity throughout the building process.

In this step, you'll create solar panels and a wind turbine to transform your house into a renewable energy-powered structure. Begin by starting a new sketch on the roof of your house where you'll design the solar panel base. Draw a rectangular shape covering your desired area, then extrude it upward by a few millimeters to create a flat mounting surface. Next, initiate another sketch on top of this extruded rectangle to design the individual solar cells - make small hexagon shapes that will form the panel's surface. Once you've created one hexagonal cell, use the rectangular pattern tool to replicate it across the entire surface, creating a complete solar array. For optimal performance, color the hexagonal cells completely black to maximize sunlight absorption, as darker colors attract the most light energy, while making the base panel white to reflect excess heat and maintain efficiency. With these steps completed, your house now features functional solar panels installed on the roof.

Moving on to the wind turbine construction, start by sketching a circle on the ground near your house to form the turbine's base. Extrude this to create the support tower, then offset a plane at the top where you'll sketch a smaller circle for the turbine hub. Use the loft command to smoothly connect these circular shapes, forming the turbine's central shaft. To create the blades, draw a single aerodynamic blade shape on a new plane, then use a circular pattern to array multiple blades (typically three) around the hub. Finally, apply a rotational constraint to allow the turbine blades to spin freely when exposed to wind. By completing both these renewable energy systems, your house can now operate entirely on clean, sustainable power sources, eliminating dependence on fossil fuels and significantly reducing its environmental impact while maintaining energy efficiency. The combination of solar panels and wind turbine provides a balanced energy solution that can harness power from both sunlight and wind throughout different times of day and weather conditions.

For this step, you'll begin by creating a sketch on the garage wall - specifically the leftmost section of the building. Start by drawing a large rectangle, then use the offset tool to create a slightly smaller rectangle inside it. Extrude this inward to create depth and the appearance of a recessed door frame. Continue this process by adding progressively smaller rectangles within each other, then duplicate this panel design across the entire garage door surface to create realistic detailing. For the windows, first sketch your desired shape, then add an interior outline before extruding it inward to form proper window frames - this same technique works perfectly for creating detailed doors as well. Remember to maintain proper proportions with two larger windows downstairs and slightly smaller ones upstairs. To enhance realism further, consider adding decorative trim by sketching additional rectangles along the edges before extruding them in Inventor. These finishing touches will give your model a professional, polished appearance with proper depth and architectural details. I also add many cuts to it to make it look like a lumber house which are really efficient and sturdy.

I chose a blue color scheme for the house with white accents to create a modern, cohesive look. The porch framing, garage door, and upstairs window frames are all painted white to complement the main blue exterior. This blue and white combination works beautifully together, creating a clean and contemporary aesthetic. For the roof, I selected black to realistically represent asphalt shingles, which adds depth to the overall design. The blue exterior gives the house a fresh, modern appearance while maintaining a classic color palette that's both visually appealing and stylish.

This project deepened my understanding of CAD design and pushed me in exciting new ways. I began with a clear objective—to address a specific challenge in my building design. Initially, I worried that relying solely on Inventor might limit me, but I was still able to create a detailed and functional house design using only this program. Despite having no prior experience with other software like Revit or Fusion, I explored Inventor’s full potential and was amazed by its capabilities. It’s incredible how much creativity you can unlock with this tool!

This is my first Instructables project, and I’ve loved the experience so far. The platform not only provides engaging CAD challenges but also lets me discover other creators’ inspiring work. I plan to share many more of my designs here in the future. While learning additional programs might have made the process easier, sticking with Inventor made it more rewarding—like solving a puzzle in an unconventional way.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have access to a 3D printer to bring this house design to life physically; if I had, I absolutely would have printed it. Working in CAD isn’t quite the same as real-world construction, but it’s still an incredibly valuable learning experience.

I’m want to give thanks to Autodesk Inventor—this project allowed me to design a house from scratch, and it was an incredibly rewarding experience. This software made it possible for me to bring my ideas to life, even as I’m still learning. I still haven't discovered all the features of the site yet but I took forward in doing so to expand my career.

I also want to thank Instructables for creating such an inspiring platform. It’s amazing how this website encourages people to share their CAD projects, take on creative challenges, and make learning fun. The sense of community here is special—bringing people together to collaborate, innovate, and grow.

While I’m still a beginner and haven’t yet explored tools like Fusion or Revit, I’m excited to expand my skills in the future. CAD has so much potential, especially when combined with technologies like 3D printing, and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me.

To the teams behind Inventor and Instructables—thank you for fostering creativity and helping people like me develop their passion for design. I look forward to sharing more projects and learning on this site!

Thank you for the links below me that guided in my research

References:

https://www.nyc.gov/site/housing/about/problem.page

https://buildmax.com/what-is-the-cheapest-type-of-house-to-build/?srsltid=AfmBOopuKv4f1yaxSbAOU27PFdj_QIAzhYRXkD62QHGxHfBqZbcgfyQ-

https://hcr.ny.gov/new-york-housing-future-programs

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/to-fix-the-affordable-housing-shortage-policymakers-should-support-smarter-housing-policies-instead-of-using-immigration-to-evade-responsibility/

https://riseboro.org/program/sustainable-housing-development/

https://www.windermere.com/blog/what-makes-a-home-modern

https://www.zillow.com/home-values/6181/new-york-ny/