I was honored to recently serve on the Market Appeal jury
for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon for a second time. The
Decathlon challenges collegiate teams to design, build and operate sustainable
solar-powered homes that are beautiful, comfortable, and affordable. All 19
houses were net-zero energy or better in the measured competition, and most of
them effectively addressed a number of sustainability issues.
My colleagues and I awarded first place to Team Las Vegas’
entry, DesertSol, an eloquent architectural response to the Mojave Desert
climate. The architecture creates a sense of place, celebrates the beauty of a
unique ecosystem and emphasizes the importance of an increasingly scarce
resource, water. The team defined their central inspiration as a commitment to
demonstrate the residents’ relationship with water as well as conserving water
in many different ways. The focus on water is particularly appropriate, since
Las Vegas was originally founded on the site of natural springs that dried up
in merely 50 years due to overdrawing, and there’s danger of repeating history
by overdrawing the area’s current water reserve in Lake Mead.
The spatial organization and open plan of this compact, 754
square foot home make it seem much larger than it actually is, and it
beautifully combines sustainable design and luxurious
amenities.
The layout and finishes of the bathroom make it feel like an
elegant, rejuvenating spa. Panels of shimmer glass tiles in the shower and
behind the custom sink evoke waterfalls.
A particularly striking feature is the central entry, a
space framed between the private and public parts of the house. The entry
overlooks what is supposed to be a water feature but was actually more
effective than originally planned in emphasizing the vital importance of that
element. The team envisioned “a shallow pool of water with a bubbling center,
reminiscent of the springs, designed to collect the precious four inches of
precipitation each year and store the rainwater in a cistern.” But because
there was no rain to fill the cachement system, the house centers around an
arroyo (dry creek bed).
The rainwater cachement system was to be used, together with
grey-water, to provide any water needed for landscape irrigation. But not much
water would be required because the team used native desert plants that require
virtually no watering once their roots are established. The plumbing fixtures
and the appliances all help save water.
The Mojave is a harsh environment, the exceptional dryness,
the intense contrast of sunlight and deep shadows have a profound impact, and
the team’s material selection responds to these challenges positively by
choosing natural, durable materials that age well in the desert. The
silver-gray wood (recycled fencing) and rusted metal of the exterior reference the ghost towns of western
lore. The connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces is emphasized by the
use of the exterior wood on the walls of the entryway.
Movable perforated steel screens provide privacy for the
bedroom and shade in the summer. The pattern evokes light filtering through the
leaves of mesquite trees.
For Additional Information on the U.S. Department of
Energy's Solar Decathlon 2013 Visit the Web Site
Photos by: Jason Flakes/U.S. Department of Energy Solar
Decathlon
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