Caltech and SCI-Arc's soft landing at Solar Decathlon
At the 2011 Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C., one of the head-turning designs on the National Mall is CHIP — the Compact, Hyper-Insulated Prototype by a team from Caltech and the Southern California Institute of Architecture. With insulation stretched around the outside of the frame instead of inside, the house looks like it's wrapped in a spacesuit.
The competition is meant to spur innovation in energy-efficient home design, and college teams invest a lot in making their ideas reality. CHIP took two years, more than 100 students and $1 million to build. Solar panels power an Xbox Kinect that has been turned into a master command center, allowing residents to turn lights and appliances on and off simply by pointing at them.
Article: Caltech and SCI-Arc introduce CHIP
Photos: CHIP's budget materials and interior features
We'll post more from the Solar Decathlon as winners in various categories are announced.
ALSO:
Photos: The greenest house in L.A.?
Photos: Green houses on the Baja coast
The bizarrely complicated world of household recycling
Photo credit: Stefano Paltera / U.S. Department of Energy
A look at the most interesting homes in Southern California.
Garden tours, low-water landscapes and deals.
Design ideas for the living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom.
Weekly dispatches from Chris Erskine's adventures in fatherdom.
Submit your favorite photos of your home.
The comments to this entry are closed.