Proud Green Home’s article on Team New York!
The Solar Roof Pod is edging closer to reality, as the team finalizes a set of construction drawings which will document every aspect of the building, from the exterior facades to the interior living spaces. Soon after the completion of construction drawings, the materials for the urban roof pod will be finalized. Progressing the project from conception to reality is the focus for the team.
While architecture students will select materials to make the pod a practical experience for the user, engineering students have been analyzing energy efficient systems that will run the house, from plumbing to heating and cooling. Taking advantage of the sun in order to maintain comfortable living temperatures, and creating innovative ways to run the house through control systems, are just some of the ways the engineering systems will revolutionize the living experience in the pod.
Engaging in such aspects of the competition continues to serve as inspiration for team members. “I joined the Solar Decathlon because as an Electrical Engineering student I believe in solar energy as the energy source for the future; but I never imagined that this project would bring me so much knowledge and experience for my future career,” says Giovanny Giraldo, engineering student.
Engineering and Architecture are not the only aspects of the project. Since the unique competition is essentially a design build project, students engage in not simply design, but also in the field of construction. Students are preparing for one of the most exciting phases of the project. They have already begun to develop half-scale, and even full-scale models of the actual pod. Such large models provide team members with a more realistic idea of the pod by creating materialization. Such work also determines how to best construct the pod. Along with physical construction, a health and safety plan has been developed which will guide the students when they assemble the pod in Washington DC for the judging phase of the competition in Fall 2011.
The team’s Health and Safety Officer Relbin Thomas states, “As students, we know that solar energy is our future and we chose to embrace it. As up and coming professionals, we know that the best way to apply technology is safely. This is why the well being of students and proper construction methods are considered in every design choice.”
Stay tuned to see how Solar Decathlon Team New York continues on its journey for urban innovation.
The article can also be found at Proud Green Home’s website:
Proud Green Home
