Solar Decathlon Update

The European Solar Decathlon 2014 has come to a close, and the RISD TechStyle Haus (whose fabric interior Transformit helped to complete) scored solidly in the middle of the entries, with a notable third place in comfort conditions. Placing in the middle of this group does not imply mediocrity! The overall quality of the entries is quite high: TechStyle Haus is "net positive" in energy use, returning more power to the grid than it uses.

The overall winner, and winner of the functional house award, is Rhome for DenCity, from Roma TRE University.

Close behind in the scoring is Philéas, from Atlantic Challenge, students of three schools in Nantes, France. They also won the energy efficiency award.

Third is Prêt-à-Loger, by Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands. Winner of the sustainability award, this "House with a Skin" adds an exoskeleton to an existing Dutch row house (of which there are 1.6 million in the country) which raises the house to contemporary levels of energy efficiency and comfort.

Tropika, created by students of Costa Rica Institute of Technology, is intended to provide sustainable housing for aging Costa Ricans, allowing them to live independently while maintaining their connection to the community.

Photos by Lucien Lung, the Guardian

From the TechStyle Haus Blog

"Saturday, July 12, a crowd of pink sat in the stands of the Agora waiting for the final verdict. Never before had it been this crowded with Decathletes and visitors from the public, with plenty of celebratory drinks to go around. Fittingly, the original creators of Solar Decathlon in the US introduced the program, starting from the early ideas of a student-run, student-built competition to the now well-established Solar Decathlon USA, Europe, China, and now Latin America."

A Techstyle Haus staffer explains the construction layers or the house's fabric interior.

"Then, the awards came, and that’s when Techstyle Haus won 3rd place in Comfort Conditions!

Knowing that the fabric house’s performance as a livable, comfortable space would be one of our greatest challenges, we could not be more proud! Both visitors and monitors agreed that Techstyle Haus was one of the warmest, air-tight, and sound-tight houses at the Cité du Soleil. We could not have achieved this without the considerable work and effort from everyone on our team’s students, faculty, and sponsors!

Some other notable standings: We placed 6th in both Communications & Social Awareness and in House Functioning, and 10th in Energy Efficiency."

Life After Solar Decathlon 2014

Following breakdown at the competition, Techstyle Haus will be moved to Domaine de Boisbuchet, a campus for art and design workshops in Lessac, France. The house will be aggregated into a dense commune for 40 students, serving as an example of regenerative urban planning. Following assembly, Techstyle Haus will be monitored to test its performance and viability as a new kind of sustainable development.

Views of the fabric interior

Photos courtesy TechStyle Haus

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