RISD Solar's goal is to create a house that will inspire through innovative design. We believe that invention is not limited to technical or mechanical invention, but can encompass material and spatial innovation.
In the pursuit of efficiency, historical house plans can be eliminated in favor of a design, which is the result of the careful study of human movement and habitation. We are currently re-evaluating the concept of the traditional dwelling as it relates to evolving technologies and changing lifestyles. The house will address issues of both the technical energy efficiency needed in a solar house and the experiential efficiency of creating and inhabiting a space. Efficient inhabitation can include, but is not limited to concise circulation and effective ergonomics.
Material efficiency: Basing our design on set standards of modularity, we plan to reduce construction waste. We believe that good design can use traditional building standards, but reinvent their usage. In the same manner, standard materials can be combined with alternative building materials (natural or recycled) to create new construction types. We see the Solar Decathlon house as an opportunity to reinvent materials often overlooked by cutting edge design today: burlap can be modern, scrap metal can be beautiful.
Our design proposal will combine the high-tech and low-tech. A house that runs on a sophisticated solar electrical system can also utilize simple methods of passive solar design. While homeowners may not care to understand the intricacies of inverters, battery banks, or photovoltaics, they can be convinced of the importance of a simple shading device or paint color choice. We want to help designers and homeowners understand that you do not need to be engineer to incorporate solar into a house.
As designers, we are in a unique position to improve the quality of life. The future of alternative forms of energy relies on marketability. Thus far, solar powered houses have had little allure and no mass appeal. Our job as designers is to demonstrate to consumers and design professionals that solar need not be unattractive or relegated to alternative ways of living. Both active and passive solar design can enhance the conventional home.
We will take advantage of the creativity of RISD's diverse student body to design a house that will delight its audience. Elements designed by individual designers will come together in a comprehensive package. We envision a house that will showcase the work and craftsmanship of all the RISD departments not just the architecture school. We plan to take advantage of disciplines such as textiles, glass, industrial design, and sculpture to create a unique house that will combine the technical practice of architecture with art.
