RhOME for denCity’s Passive Solar Home Wins Grand Prize at Solar Decathlon Europe 2014
The RhOME for denCity team consists of professors and researchers from the Architecture, Business Studies and...
NCTU’s Energy Efficient Evaporative Cooling Orchid House Wins Best Urban Design at Solar Decathlon Europe 2014
Given that the NCTU Unicode is based in Taiwan, a country notorious for its muggy and oppressive tropical summers,...
Pret-a-Loger’s Home With a Skin of Solar Panels Wins Sustainability Prize at Solar Decathlon 2014
Instead of demolishing the house, which lacked space, comfort and consumed around 175 euro of energy each month,...
Solar Philéas: Modular Apartment Upgrade for 120-Year-Old French Building Wins Energy Efficiency Prize at Solar Decathlon Europe
The Cap 44 building is part of the city's heritage as one of the first reinforced concrete buildings in the world;...
Solar-Powered Techstyle Haus’ Futuristic Fabric Shell Drastically Reduces Energy Consumption
The 2014 Solar Decathlon Europe is an international competition that challenges 20 competing collegiate teams to...
Solar-Powered OnTop House Can be Added to the Top of Almost Any Urban Home
The team from University of Applied Sciences Frankfurt am Main took a unique approach to this year’s Solar Decathlon...
Chiba University’s Post-Disaster Renai House Wins Second Place in Architecture at Solar Decathlon Europe 2014
Deeply affected by the Tohoku-Oki earthquake that decimated northeastern Japan in March 2011, the students of Chiba...
Solar Liv-Lib’ Capsule Home is Powered by a Futuristic Energy-Generating Hub
The Liv-Lib' project consists of two elements: “hubs” and “habitation capsules.” The hubs are solar-powered...
Students Unveil Solar-Powered ‘Rooftop House’ for an Apartment Block in Berlin
The owners of the Altbau will invest to refurbish the rooftop and possibly replace old electrical appliances, fix...
Perfectly Passive Ressò House Wins Architecture Award at Solar Decathlon Europe 2014
Like a box within a box, the double height 81m2 communal space provides multifunctionality and adapts to form a...
Tiny 100% Solar-Powered Maison Reciprocity House Shines at the Solar Decathlon Europe
The home is based on designing row house neighborhoods that have a minimal environmental impact. Built as an affordable...
Danish Students’ EMBRACE House for Two Boasts a Super Energy-Efficient Double Envelope
Students from the Technical University of Denmark designed the home for two by combining passive and active technological...
French Student Team Rhône-Alpes Wins the 2012 Solar Decathlon Europe With Canopea House!
The top six homes in the final results of the 2012 European Solar Decathlon are: 1. Canopea House by Team Rhône-Alpes 2....
Team Rhône-Alpes’ Modular Canopea House Wins the Architecture and Operations Competitions of the Solar Decathlon Europe!
Both vertical and horizontal stacks of Canopea homes can produce nanotowers that respond to the dearth of urban...
Germany’s Hemp-insulated ECOLAR House Scoops the Solar Decathlon Engineering Prize!
ECOLAR's basic construction, comprised of beams and columns, essentially stays the same but can be configured differently...
![[gallery_extend] Solar Decathlon Casa PI by team Unizar is the only project at Madrid's Villa Solar that boasts a circular structure and an elevator, and it is also only one of two homes that has been sold. Although the original solar-powered design did not call for an elevator, the home's new owner asked for one to be installed, putting the team's real-world flexibility to the test. This addition has caused some complications that have delayed completion, but the challenge has created an indispensable learning experience for the team, which is currently in second-to-last place. Let's put the elevator aside for a moment in order to recognize the value of Unizar's unique Casa PI home, which relies on geometry to reduce overall surface size and therefore slash the home's energy consumption. Using Glass Reinforced Concrete (GRC) to ensure optimum thermal performance, the Spanish team was also able to increase the project's energy efficiency. This combined with a unique energy-generating photovoltaic wall surrounding the home's exterior perimeter contributes to a self-sufficient and portable dwelling. Albeit unfinished, we were impressed with Casa PI's interior layout, which maximizes space. One half of the house has a living room cum study area, the kitchen occupies a slice in between this and the main bedroom, while a small private bathroom completes the home's practical requirements. Although Casa PI definitely needs some work, we applaud the team's remarkable perseverance. + Casa PI by UNIZAR + Solar Decathlon Europe Coverage on Inhabitat [gallery]](https://inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2012/09/PI-House-by-Unizar-SDE-2012-lead.jpg)
Team Unizar’s Prefabricated, Circular Casa PI Solar Decathlon Home has an Elevator!
Let's put the elevator aside for a moment in order to recognize the value of Unizar's unique Casa PI home, which...
Swooping Astonyshine Solar Decathlon House Boasts a Bold Combination of Stone and Wood
The Solar Decathlon competition is designed to foster creativity and innovation, not winners. As a result, we admire...
Hungary’s ODOO Solar Decathlon House is Wrapped in Photovoltaic Panels
Hungarians don't enjoy a lot of great weather, but when they do, the ODOO house terrace will ensure they can make...
Slender FOLD Solar Decathlon House Boasts an Extra-Thin Rooftop Solar System
Only 86 mm thick, the rooftop RAcell PVT system developed specifically for FOLD also covers a hot water system...
Portugal’s Modular Casas Em Movimento House Rotates to Follow the Sun at the Solar Decathlon Europe
The last time we checked, the Casas Em Movimento House is not actually rotating, but its performance scores are...
Supersolar Fresnel Lenses Power Team ABC’s Green-Roofed Sumbiosi Solar Decathlon House
Although one of the lower scoring teams at this year's Solar Decathlon Europe competition in Madrid, the Sumbiosi...
Super-Efficient MED in Italy House Takes the Lead at the 2012 Solar Decathlon Europe
MED in Italy is a clever play on words that refers to the fact that the home was made in Italy, but it also refers...
6 Amazing Sun-Powered Homes Competing in the 2012 Solar Decathlon Europe
Designed by the Technical University of Denmark, the Plus Energy FOLD House is a versatile modular home that can...
The European Solar Decathlon Starts Today!
Team Inhabitat is currently on-scene in Madrid to bring you coverage of all 19 Solar Decathlon Europe Teams as...
Plus Energy FOLD House by Solar Decathlon Team DTU Can Be Erected in Multiple Configurations
To the team from Denmark that is presently working around the clock to finish the Fold House in time for the official...
East Meets West in Tongji University’s Para Eco-House Design for the European Solar Decathlon
The lattice work on the outer shell is created from bamboo, a traditional Chinese material that is more sustainable...
Odooproject Prefab by Solar Decathlon Team Hungary Boasts a Ceiling-Integrated Water Cooling System
Photovoltaic panels are integrated into the building's facade and rooftop and passive design was executed so well...
Romania’s Prefab PRISPA Solar Decathlon House Produces 20% More Energy Than it Uses
This is the first time that Romania will compete in the Solar Decathlon competition, so it's exciting that they...
Virginia Tech’s Lumenhaus Wins the 2010 European Solar Decathlon!
This the second time in one year that the team from Virginia Tech has competed with the Lumenhaus. Back at the...
Re:Focus Teaches an Old House New Tricks at the Solar Decathlon
The entire house is panelized to allow it to be flat packed and assembled around 7 square “ribs”. Because of...