solar decathlon 2012: ecolar pavilion

‘ecolar’ by team ecolar for the 2012 solar decathlon, madrid, spain all images courtesy of ecolar

six faculties from the university of applied science konstanz in germany have collaborated on ‘ecolar,’ this year’s submission for the 2012 solar decathlon in madrid. following the motto ‘change your life, change your house,’ the term ‘ecolar’ is a hybrid word composed of the four fundamental concepts that drive the design.

ecologic: the life-cycles of all materials and assemblies are carefully considered to lessen the impact on resources and the environment.

solar: the sun is the exclusive source of energy. photovoltaic panels on the roof are able to power the entire residence, eliminating the need for fossil fuels.

economic: prefabricated components are made off-site with greater precision and efficiency and easily assembled on-site, cutting down on excess material and labor cost

modular: a highly flexible redundant structure grants the house the ability to provide exact amount of space needed by the individual inhabitant, with the potential for growth and reduction, as external factors such as familial or economic issues may influence the actual size of the dwelling. modularity also lends to the future re-adaptation of program as well as its potential to be installed on any site.

interior image courtesy of ecolar

the beams and columns of each of the six 4 x 4 x 2.5 meter modules is made of hollow wooden members whose geometry offers a high structural capacity while reducing material resources and weight, and posses the option of being insulated. the lucido facade panels store solar heat, improving the insulative value of the walls, while a mixture of varying translucent panels and louvers comprise the rest of the elevations in order to protect the interior from direct heat gain and privacy.

image courtesy of ecolar

a combination of opaque and translucent photovoltaic panels on the roof absorb energy while screening direct light into the spaces. water is collected and recycled on site, filtered to be used for grey water purposes. the ceilings are a composite of clay and phase-changing-material (PCM) that control the interior temperature and humidity.

hollow beams and column members image courtesy of ecolar

constructing the wall modules image courtesy of ecolar

assembling the sections image courtesy of ecolar

construction image courtesy of ecolar

exterior PVC panels with model in foreground image courtesy of ecolar

view of the solar decathlon with ‘ecolar’ image courtesy of ecolar

ecolar team image courtesy of ecolar

interior energy features image courtesy of ecolar

exterior energy features image courtesy of ecolar

formal diagram image courtesy of ecolar

building components image courtesy of ecolar

3D exploded assembly diagram image courtesy of ecolar

floor plan / level 0 image courtesy of ecolar

section image courtesy of ecolar

section image courtesy of ecolar

wall construction image courtesy of ecolar

facade detail image courtesy of ecolar