| Matt Nagel
Institute Communications and Public Affairs
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In working
on the project, College of Architecture graduate
student Joe Jamgochian said that moving from theory
to practice was “something we normally don’t
get into at school. And yet, knowing how to really
put a building together is what we’re going
to face after we graduate. That’s why this
project is so exciting.”
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Georgia Tech unveiled its concept for a house that
is sure to capture the imagination of those who appreciate
technology, as well as those who are environmentally
conscience. The Tech
team is finishing the initial phase of a solar powered
house that will compete in the U.S.
Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon, an
international event to be held next year in Washington,
DC.
Teams are judged in 10 categories, seven of which focus
on energy efficiency; others include design and comfort
of the house. The team with the most points —
the most energy-efficient and innovatively designed
house — wins.
To begin the concept phase, an interdisciplinary design
workshop was established at the start of Tech’s
summer term. The team, with students from architecture,
engineering and biology, was divided into seven groups.
Each group then created their own concept for the house.
Through a democratic process, four houses were chosen
to continue. The team was then divided to further those
house concepts. The final design is a hybrid, emphasizing
the strengths of each house design.
“Combining the best elements of each of the four
projects seemed to make a lot of sense,” said
Chris Jarrett, an associate professor of architecture
and one of the team’s project managers. “All
of the students spent enormous time investigating the
various energy systems of the project and how they could
be conceptualized into architecture. The strategy allows
everyone to take some ownership.”
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student team offered its design for a solar-powered,
environmentally sensitive house last week. The team,
comprised of students from the Colleges of Architecture,
Engineering, Management and Sciences, will construct
a full-scale model of the house during an international
competition that will be held in Washington, D.C.,
next year. |
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In all, Tech’s team includes three project managers,
seven faculty advisors and more than 50 students from
all academic levels.
And with the project having such strong interdisciplinary
ties, it has given students a unique opportunity and
experience.
“I’ve always been in an engineering environment
with a bunch of engineers and so it has been a different
experience working with people who are coming to the
project from a different perspective,” said Adam
Boyd, a graduate student in mechanical engineering.
“We’ve been combining our thought processes
and ideas and have really come up with something impressive
out of it.”
Architecture students say it has been an excellent
learning experience.
“The engineers help us with things that we don’t
know so much about,” said Travis Hampton, an undergraduate
in the College of Architecture. “How much energy
is needed to power the house? They do the calculations
to figure out how many panels we’re going to need
to make this house work. The plumbing, how should that
be designed? They really helped us make some good decisions
on which choices would be most efficient.”
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