flex house at the solar decathlon 2011

‘flex house’ by team florida for the solar decathlon 2011, washington, DC, united states images courtesy of team florida

team florida, a comprehensive team of students from the university of south florida, florida state university, the university of central florida and the university of florida collaborated to produce ‘flex house’, a prototype submission for the US department of energy’s solar decathlon 2011. one of twenty teams participating in the biennial event, the competition tasks college students to design and build a solar powered cost-effective, energy efficient and attractive home. this dwelling is designed to accommodate a young and growing family, fluctuating in size upon necessity with additional modules to expand it’s small and easily shipped footprint.

corrugated metal is used to surface the perimeter of the structure providing a reflective, durable and economic enclosure. an extensive umbrella framework of locally sourced cypress louvers encompasses the roof and walls, shielding direct sunlight from the interior while the north wall opens to introduce cool air into the living area. an array of grid connected photovoltaic panels on the roof eliminates the need for stand alone, battery operated PV systems. this allows a balance of energy derived from power utilities which provides a net zero electrical use over the course of a year. a utilitarian landscape provides the inhabitants with food while additionally reducing the temperature of the microclimate and preventing excessive storm water runoff.

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