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Solar decathlon 2007

ff33º

Maryland came with a nice house in 2005 , that integrated the Array into the house geometry. Somehow they got a bad Arch rating. I heard a rumor about how they filed a formal complaint, with good reason I am sure. If you look at the famous VT house...it was great for glitz and glam ...something for Metropolis mag, perhaps, but U Maryland were more appropriately addressing PV integration back then,... this is all I know.

This year their house seems a little rough to me..just my humble opinion. Do you know what a peckerhead is?...well they have them poking overtly out of the roof. Also, the Chia Siding is really popular this years,..is this a fad I didn't hear about?

Anyway, I am sure they are all happy and they deserve their success. So congrats, ..but I don't see integration so much. Congrats to all teh teams who favored well today!

Oct 16, 07 6:41 pm  · 
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ff33º

Our house hasn't been doing so well, but I keep getting good feedback from Architects that happen to come by and visit. One local firm has invited me over for a lunch and presentation of the Decathlon. So I guess amidst the fair weather fans, a few satisfied Architects help make it more worth while for me personally.

In general I am officially bored with the typology that this competition creates, so I can sort of see Archmed's point, even if I don;t like them.

Oct 16, 07 6:50 pm  · 
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WonderK

UT Austin's house aggravates me. Is it really necessary to drape a big Texas flag over the front of it? is that still there or was that only for the pictures?

Judging from the pictures only, the architecture is sort of homogenous.

Oct 16, 07 6:56 pm  · 
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ff33º

Texas is just like that. You know all overly proud of their state and shit
We all have flags, though....And yes, WonderK, there are a lot of Polygal Boxes.

Oct 16, 07 7:00 pm  · 
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weAREtheSTONES

Form...last year your team leader...I dont recall his name but he said some prety meaningful stuff.

He said at the closing ceremony (the ceremony where Colorado was accepting 1st place overall) that "every team that built a house on the mall this year are all winners! We all built these amazing homes that give back to the enviornment and dispite the terrible weather we had all teams completed 90% of the contests and we all have fuctional homes. That is a feat in itself" I always wanted to thank him for not being a chauvanistic duesh for taking 1st place for the second year in a row!

I think we got yelled at by NREL for having an american flag on house.

"integrated the Array into the house geometry." does that mean that they had the PV's wrap the curved roof? B/c architecturally that may be the sleak thing to do but its not very efficient. Right? I think U-Michigan did the same thing...although their house looked like a diner out of the 60's.

-whats up w/Cornell this year?...last year they were kicking ass and taking names!

Oct 16, 07 9:43 pm  · 
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ff33 - How did you guys end up with a small team and budget after winning two years in a row? I like some of the geometries going on in the Colorado house this year.

Oct 16, 07 9:51 pm  · 
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ff33º

Our Architecture School is not involved in this years house. They are recovering form the debt of 2005. So I just worked with teh engineering school to be on board. We have 4 designers.

Oct 17, 07 11:37 am  · 
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ff33º

wAtS

There is only one real doosh bag on our team...teh rest of us in 2005 and in 2007, are here to have fun with teh teams. I myself, am nbot that competitve abotu this stuff, either. OUr house has big plans after the comp, so I am pretty well satisifed with whatever happens.

- Jeff Lyng is a kind of Politician type, you may see him in office one day. He doesn know how to rally teh spritis of Soalr Decathletes though.

-Well, with as large as theese arrays are, you can afford to do more architectural manuevers

-Cornell, could have been cool, but I think they were too tame with the colors, or something and everyone keeps saying the word "scaffoldoing" , but its is good theory.

Oct 17, 07 11:43 am  · 
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ff33º

sorry, I should have used spell check there.

Oct 17, 07 11:44 am  · 
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weAREtheSTONES

scaffolding...interesting...deconstructivism

Oct 17, 07 2:56 pm  · 
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weAREtheSTONES

Falling in the rankings :-(

Oct 18, 07 12:42 pm  · 
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kablakistan

I think it's a great thing, this solar decathalon. And it is sponsored by the Department of Energy? It seems like something the US government should do more of, promote innovation. And for students, it seems like a great chance for engineers and architects to work together and speak to each other.

While I like to represent for Cornell, their house isn't the most attractive thing, even if the scaffolding helps keep energy use low. It is hard to imagine Jane Doe wanting to live there, and that is worth bearing in mind.



MIT's looks pretty boring though, the Santa Clara house looks good but quite normal. The Boulder house is cool, if I knew how to read I would like to know what the shipping container is for.



UT Austin looks pretty cool, with the graphic under glass. I think it gets a lot of softening from those planters in front, but it's a bit too much like a trailer I think for non-modernist folks.

Oct 19, 07 10:05 am  · 
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Apurimac

Oh man, NYtech, we got pwned.

Oct 19, 07 10:42 am  · 
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Current rankings, with two more sets of results yet to come in:

1 Darmstadt
2 Maryland
3 Penn State
4 Montreal
5 Santa Clara

Winners announced at 2PM EST today.

Oct 19, 07 11:04 am  · 
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le bossman

i still contend that arizona state needs to enter this competition

Oct 19, 07 11:22 am  · 
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weAREtheSTONES

NYtech got what?
le bossman...more teams need to TRY and enter the competiton...from what I understand, about 100 or so teams submit a design but only 20 teams are selected to build. teams who place 1st - 5th are automatically invited for the next Decathlon!

1-Darmstadt
2-Maryland
3-Santa Clara
4-Penn State
5-Madrid

Damn we got spanked!!!

Way to go Santa Clara!!!! They were pretty low in the rankings early on...now they are up to 3rd!!!Impressive!
-I met up with the Santa Clara team this past April when they did a presentation for PG&E in SF. I had my doubts, but they are kickin' ass!

Oct 19, 07 2:34 pm  · 
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Apurimac

wAtS, you nytech?

pwned=owned=ass handed=ass kicked=bested=trumped

Oct 19, 07 2:37 pm  · 
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weAREtheSTONES

alma mater - I'm guessing you're at the Manhattan campus? I went to CI...and for thesis since they closed the CI campus...OW to finish up! Did, SD-2005!
Yes, we did get our asses handed to us on a solar panel!

Oct 19, 07 2:39 pm  · 
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Ah yes, ze Germans for the win, big surprise, that one.

Oct 19, 07 2:56 pm  · 
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le bossman

asu would be accepted. i absolutely guarantee that arizona state could do something like this better than anyone. i'm not kidding.

Oct 19, 07 3:10 pm  · 
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WonderK

So, is it over then? Are they the overall winners?

Oct 19, 07 3:26 pm  · 
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Yep:

1st: Darmstadt
2nd: UMD (Go Terps!)
3rd: Santa Clara

Oct 19, 07 3:57 pm  · 
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link

Oct 19, 07 3:58 pm  · 
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weAREtheSTONES

I knew it! ZE Germans!

Oct 19, 07 4:27 pm  · 
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WonderK

I congratulate the Germans on their win but I guess I am a little disappointed that an American team didn't win. On our own soil! D'oh. They are so crafty. I need to learn German.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go have a meeting about energy consumption at my school with a German professor......

Oct 19, 07 4:52 pm  · 
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ff33º

This is a good link as well:

http://www.inhabitat.com/category/architecture/


My two cents:

The Germans did obviously deserve to win, yet their house is very , very expensive. So , I guess, when in doubt just buy out the competition.

UMD had an cool structure and great communications but I am not sure how they fared so well in Architecture, with that jumpy composition of volumes, and bolt heads oozing out every pour.

Santa Clara have been called the Cinderella team, as they almost lost their house on the road. They have touched the hearts of many here...yet I wish they would rip off all that ugly , last minute 1x siding. Come on people!

Carnegie Mellon was robbed, in Architecture,..which reinforces my opinions of the Jurors. Send those Jurors back to the Suburbs where you obviously found them, LOL.



Anyway, its been great! Congrats everyone!

Oct 19, 07 6:32 pm  · 
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weAREtheSTONES

I dont really see the problem w/ buying out the competition...it happens everyday. Its about expressing the technology that is out there...and yes its fucking expensive...but they figured out how to get the money for material and or labor, how to use it, make it work. Congrats! Management is a big part of our profession...getting the fucking job done...one way or another!

Oct 19, 07 6:44 pm  · 
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