Architecture Contest At Solar Decathlon Won By Prague Team

A jury of professional architects determined the Architecture Contest winners by assessing each house’s architectural elements, environmental compatibility and occupant comfort, design inspiration, and construction specifications.

Photo credit: Jason Flakes | U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

The interior of  Czech Technical University’s AIR House, which won first place in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013 Architecture contest, incorporates warm and natural wood finishes to create a comfortable place to dwell and reenergize.

The sleeping area in the Czech Republic AIR House. | Photo credit: Jason Flakes | U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

The bathroom in the Czech Republic AIR House. | Photo credit: Jason Flakes | U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

Architecture Contest juror Richard N. Swett of Climate PROSPERITY Enterprise Solutions LLC:

The first-place winner, AIR House from Czech Technical University, provides a multitude of wonderful architectural experiences despite its simple and uncomplicated design. Using light and materials, this house creates a warm and inviting cocoon where indoor and outdoor living are intertwined with the elements of sun and nature.

The wooden shower floor in the bathroom of the Czech Republic AIR House | Photo credit: Michael Batori

There were many audible “oh’s” and “ah’s” when visitors who toured the house in our group, saw the bathroom in the AIR House. The combination of the team’s use of spruce — which is a native resource in the Czech Republic, with the clean, sleekness of the glass is very appealing. As in many of the competition houses, the floor of the shower is made from wood and is a greywater collection point.

Stevens Institute of Technology won second place in the Architecture Contest for its house, Ecohabit. Third place went to the University of Southern California for fluxHome.

For the Communications Contest, a jury of communications professionals evaluated each team’s website, public exhibit materials, public tours, and audiovisual presentation for clear and consistent messages, representative images, and creative audience engagement.

Photo credit: Stefano Paltera | U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

Sandra Violand, architecture student at Vienna University of Technology, which won first place in the Communications Contest, offers the team’s handout to visitors at the entrance of the LISI house. Voiland also wears the handout, which not only offers information about the team’s Solar Decathlon entry but can also be folded into a wearable crown.

Communications Contest juror Mark Walhimer of Museum Planning LLC.:

As a second-time juror, I was blown away by the amount of work and creativity the 2013 entries showed in their communications efforts. The top teams represented a very high level of sophistication in their brand building.

Second place in the Communications Content went to University of Nevada Las Vegas, and Middlebury College took third place.

Walhimer said that the most successful teams in the Communications Contest were able to portray a lifestyle brand rather than merely conveying the technical features of their houses.

Engineering Contest results and the overall winner of Solar Decathlon 2013 will be announced tomorrow, Saturday, October 12.

The Solar Decathlon 2013 and XPO are both taking place in Irvine, California through Sunday, October 13.

It’s FREE! Public hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily:

• Thursday, October 10 – Sunday, October 13, 2013