Archinect - News

A new and improved, 'Decathlon 2019–2020', is heading back to DC

2018-08-29T21:15:00-04:00

Teams that compete in the Solar Decathlon Build Challenge must design and construct fully functional houses...In the National Showcase, teams will ship their houses to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in June 2020 for display and operation on the National Mall. In the Local Build, teams will showcase their built houses in their communities and bring a smaller representative exhibit to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Plus, both the Solar Decathlon and Race to Zero competitions are merging, creating the new, U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

For further details check out the 2019–2020 Competition Guide

The Lotus House Explores the Potential of 3D Printing for Sustainable Construction

2018-08-15T12:21:00-04:00

From consumer goods to medical devices, 3D printing is reshaping the manufacturing world. But what about construction? Could this technology change the way buildings are made?

That’s the question posed by a team from Washington University in St. Louis. Over the past eight months, students from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts and the School of Engineering & Applied Science — with support from the International Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (InCEES)— have used 3D printing to design and fabricate elements of Lotus House, an energy-efficient prototype residence unveiled this month as part of Solar Decathlon China 2018.

In this Q&A, project manager Kinga Pabjan, a master’s candidate in architecture and construction management, discusses Lotus House, 3D printing and the future of sustainable construction.

Project manager Kinga Pabjan. (Courtesy Team WashU)

Describe Lotus House. What inspired the design?

Lotus House is a 650-square-foot, single-story home. The...

Denver selected to host the 2017 Solar Decathlon

2016-03-15T13:56:00-04:00

Dr. Orr revealed that Denver won the bid to host this biennial event, in which student teams compete to design, build, and operate cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive solar-powered houses. [...] The competition is planned to be staged near a new development close to Denver International Airport. The area around the 61st and Peña Commuter Rail Station is positioned to become a national model for sustainable, transit-oriented, greenfield development [...].

Archinect coverage of previous Solar Decathlons:

2015 Solar Decathlon winner Stevens Institute of Technology addresses post-Sandy resiliency with the SURE HOUSE

2015-10-19T14:13:00-04:00

The Stevens Institute of Technology of Hoboken, New Jersey won the 2015 Solar Decathlon with their storm-resilient SURE HOUSE this past weekend. One of the crowd favorites in this year's competition, the SURE HOUSE scored the highest in seven out of the 10 contests, which put the team in the lead with a final score of 950.685 points out of a possible 1,000. Along with more than a dozen U.S. and international teams, Team Stevens spent two years designing and planning the SURE House, and constructed it from the ground up in just nine days before the competition began on October 8.

After witnessing — and even personally experiencing — the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Stevens team based their concept of the SURE HOUSE on storm resilience that balances energy efficiency. Built with fiber-composite materials repurposed from the boad-building industry, perhaps the standout element of the house is the bi-folding storm shutters, which are wrapped with fiberglass and made of a composite f...

Students endure the final home stretch at the U.S. Solar Decathlon 2015

2015-10-18T16:34:00-04:00

The sun beat down onto the asphalt grounds of the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California, where a village of 14 solar-powered houses popped up for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon. Multi-disciplinary teams of college students worldwide dedicate two years to designing and planning their institution’s house, then spend just nine days assembling them from scratch in Irvine. Then, the competition begins.

Teams are tasked with constructing the house that best blends affordability and consumer appeal, and demonstrates optimal energy production and efficiency. The houses are evaluated in 10 contests based on merits of performance and livability. The team who scores the most out of a maximum 1,000 points is crowned the overall winner. Held biennially, the Decathlon attracts ambitious students who want to push the boundaries of the future of sustainable technology and housing, while honing their technical skills and toughening their skin for their forthcoming careers.

"S...

Italian team wins first place at the Solar Decathlon Europe 2014

2014-07-17T20:32:00-04:00

The top three winners of the Solar Decathlon Europe 2014 were recently announced during the awards ceremony this past weekend in Versailles, France. For two years, the 20 student teams worked to build a full-scale, fully functioning solar-powered house.

(Pictured above) 1st Place/Overall: "Rhome for Dencity" by Team Rhome (Universitá Degli Studi di Roma TRE)

2nd Place: "Philéas" by Atlantic Challenge (Nantes, France)

3rd Place: "A Home with a Skin" by Prêt-à-loger (TU Delft, The Netherlands)
(Previously on Archinect)

Head over to Bustler for more.

Twenty teams listed for DOE Solar Decathlon 2015 at OC Great Park

2014-02-13T15:08:00-05:00

The Department of Energy revealed the 20 collegiate teams that will participate in the 2015 Solar Decathlon, which will take place at the OC Great Park in Irvine, CA once again.

Collegiate teams are given two years to build solar-powered, energy-efficient houses that are also affordable and show innovative design. The Department of Energy judges each team's project in 10 categories.

Twelve new teams and eight returners are listed to compete for 2015:

California Polytechnic State University
California State University, Sacramento
Clemson University
Crowder College and Drury University
Lansing Community College and Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University
Missouri University of Science and Technology
New York City College of Technology
Oregon Institute of Technology and Portland State University
Stanford University
State University of New York at Alfred College of Technology and Alfred University
Stevens Institute of Technology
University of Florida, National University of Singa...

Archinect Field Trip: Solar Decathlon 2013, Basking in Arrays of Energy Efficiency

2013-10-15T15:28:00-04:00

Plopped down on a former Marine Corp air station in the geographic middle of Orange County, nineteen solar-powered model homes line the runway to be judged in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2013 Solar Decathlon. For its first year held away from the National Mall in Washington D.C., the Solar Decathlon was staged in Irvine’s Great Park, which while being an abandoned airstrip surrounded by farmland, housing developments and dirt, purports to be the “first major metropolitan park of the 21st century”. For ten days, collegiate teams from around the world showcased their houses for public tours and competition in ten categories that grade affordability, marketability, design and energy efficiency. Each team has architects and engineers (sometimes from multiple schools) collaboratively design and build a fully functional solar-powered home for their chosen environment.

What does the Department of Energy do with these winning designs once the competition is over? Anticlimactically, most ...

Solar Decathlon 2013 is coming to Irvine, California this October!

2013-09-25T21:15:00-04:00

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is an award-winning program that challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.

Students from around the world will bring their designs for solar-powered houses to Irvine, California this October, as part of the 2013 Solar Decathlon. First held in 2002, the Solar Decathlon is a biannual student competition hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy. The Decathlon will take place at Orange County Great Park, with model houses erected for public tours October 3-6 and 10-13, from 11am - 7pm daily.

Take a look at the competing entries via the Dept. of Energy's flickr stream, as well as photos from XPO, the "clean, renewable and efficient energy exposition" that will host the competition. Competitors will be representing the following schools, listed as teams:

Arizona State University and The University of New Mexico (U.S.)
Czech Technical University (Czech Republic)
University of Louisville, Ball State University and University of Kentucky (U.S.)
Middlebury College (U.S.)
Missouri University of Science and Technology (U.S.)
Norwich Universit...

Team UOW Australia Wins 2013 Solar Decathlon China

2013-08-15T12:57:00-04:00

On Aug. 11, the Illawarra Flame House of Team UOW Australia (University of Wollongong and TAFE Illawarra Institute) won the 2013 Solar Decathlon China. Co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Energy Administration China, the competition challenged university teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are affordable, energy-efficient, and stylish. Participants included 22 teams from 35 universities, with students of over 35 nationalities in 13 countries.

Team Rhône-Alpes' Canopea House Wins the 2012 Solar Decathlon Europe

2012-09-29T17:29:00-04:00

Big news out of Madrid: Team Rhône-Alpes’ Canopea House has won the 2012 Solar Decathlon Europe! At the forefront of the competition since winning the Architecture and Operations prizes, this compact home is topped with a 10,7 kW array of photovoltaic panels that produce enough energy for both floors and a mini EV.

Solar Decathlon Relocates to Southern California

2012-01-26T17:14:00-05:00

At an event today in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the 20 collegiate teams selected to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013 and unveiled the competition’s location, the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California.

The following teams have been selected from around the world to compete in Solar Decathlon 2013:

Arizona State University and the University of New Mexico (Tempe, Ariz., and Albuquerque, N.M.)
Czech Technical University (Prague, Czech Republic)
Hampton University and Old Dominion University (Hampton and Norfolk, Va.)
Middlebury College (Middlebury, Vt.)
Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla, Mo.)
Norwich University (Northfield, Vt.)
Queens University, Carleton University, and Algonquin College (Kingston and Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)
Santa Clara University (Santa Clara, Calif.)
Southern California Institute of Architecture and California Institute of Technology (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Stanford University (Palo Alto, Calif.)
Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, N.J.)
The Catholic University of America, George Washington University, and American University (Washington, DC)
The University of North Carolina at Charlott...

University of Maryland WaterShed House Wins the 2011 Solar Decathlon!

2011-10-01T15:10:31-04:00

The results of the 2011 Solar Decathlon has just been announced, and the winner is University of Maryland WaterShed house! The beautiful water-conservation themed house has been leading the competition pretty much since the first day that the Solar Decathlon kicked off, taking first place in the architecture contest and scoring in the top five in almost every contest; from engineering to communications.

7 Amazing Sun-Powered Homes in the 2011 Solar Decathlon

2011-09-21T16:27:20-04:00

From super efficient solar energy systems, to high-tech whole-house monitoring, rainwater collection, vegetable gardens and beautiful architecture, we're amazed the innovation at work in this year's Solar Decathlon entries. Although we're excited to see all 20 of the Solar Decathlon houses starting today in DC, we've got our eyes on several shining contenders - read on for a first look at our top 7 teams!

SNEAK PEEK: 20 Energy-Efficient Homes in the 2011 Solar Decathlon

2011-09-13T14:48:27-04:00

The 2011 Solar Decathlon is heating up as 20 teams of students from around the world construct stunning, energy-efficient homes at the National Mall’s West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. The competition officially opens on September 23rd, but Inhabitat offers a first look at each of this year's solar-powered homes.

NJIT, Rutgers students push boundaries of sustainable building with innovative green house

2011-07-25T18:16:14-04:00

"Team NJ" — as the group of architecture, planning and engineering students from the two universities is called — has built a futuristic-looking, one-story house that challenges traditional building techniques and sets a model for innovative, green housing.