Caltech and SCI-Arc’s soft landing at Solar Decathlon

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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.

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