Archinect - News

SWA unveils plans for new 1,200-acre park in Irvine, California

2023-04-28T13:57:00-04:00

A new master plan led by SWA Group has been revealed by the city of Irvine, California, showcasing a park design that, at 1,200 acres, would create one of the largest municipal park environments in the nation.

The so-called Irvine Great Park would transform the site of the historic former Marine Corps’ El Toro Air Station into what could evolve into a new national landmark for the 3.16 million residents of Orange County replete with educational offerings, modern sport and recreation facilities, and cultural attractions.

The framework SWA developed in unison with Kellenberg Studio calls for a five-zone subdivision of the site. A 200-acre Sports Park, Cultural Terrace, 60-acre Botanical Garden, and Veteran’s Memorial Park will join a linear park called the Bosque that features trails and a children’s play area. A central “Heart of the Park” zone completes the spatial design, featuring the 12,000-seat Great Park Amphitheater, a farm, and a three-tiered, 22-acre system of small lakes.

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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.

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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...

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...

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...