Innovation

Communications & Marketing
Innovative use of mascot including creating a sticker game for kids to experience the home. Plantable seed paper business card. Clever team pitch.

Sustainability & Resilience
We appreciate the multitude of state-of-the-art technology incorporated with sustainability and resilience features.

• Fog harp was innovative, although we were not sure how functional it is at generating significant amounts of water
• Leap frog greywater

Architecture & Interior Design
The bunk Murphy bed and fog harp were great innovations to showcase, as were the greywater and rainwater collection systems, defensible space, and gutter leaf guards.

Engineering & Construction
Market responsive design without much innovation. Good water management design with grey water handling and fog harp.

Market Potential
They integrated smart appliances and design features, but didn’t incorporate much innovation beyond that.

Communications & Marketing
Utilizing student creativity in the making of organic interior pieces.

Sustainability & Resilience
The incorporation of upcycling and recycling in the process of constructing and decorating the house elevates the innovative elements of the house.

• Hydraloop greywater system
• Recycled use of paper, acoustic tiles
• SIPs panels are highly efficient, but not groundbreaking technology

Architecture & Interior Design
No justification given.

Engineering & Construction
Innovative panelized and modular construction with rapid plumbing and electrical connections. Innovative HydraLoop water recycling system.

Market Potential
SIP’s are a pretty established technology, and the team did not share a lot of notable innovative features.

Communications & Marketing
Showcased samples of innovative wall treatment to learn about and feel.

Sustainability & Resilience
The concept of a work-life co-habitat with Indian vernacular architecture has the potential to be innovative. However, without execution, we could not provide constructive feedback regarding intended innovations.

• Idea of a lattice has the potential to be innovative

Architecture & Interior Design
No justification given.

Engineering & Construction
No evidence of significant engineering innovation.

Market Potential
Content provided to the jury does not provide sufficient evidence to innovation.

Communications & Marketing
Non-traditional high school competing against universities and community colleges

Sustainability & Resilience

• ERV system
• Robust solar array with battery backup: solar tubes, solar water
• Smaller, ¼ in. pipes
• Blueskin vapor barrier
• App for real-time monitoring of system with solar and energy efficiency; system to monitor power consumption of each circuit
• Indoor air quality monitoring
• Cork was innovative; did not catch fire when tested

Architecture & Interior Design
Modular concept and execution, Solar hot water system, reuse of cribbing materials for functional exhibit use, flexible space, ERV integration and education window.

Engineering & Construction
The house employs innovative technologies and products, including the Span panel for electrical system control, cork siding, shower water heat recovery, and solar water heating.

Market Potential
We were intrigued by their integration of modular design and assembly; healthy building design, and education.

Communications & Marketing
Created magazine, academic outreach plan, and digital strategy for roof accessibility.

Sustainability & Resilience
Incorporation of 10% cement lightweight concrete mix is innovative and allows for high R values. The concept of a custom-insulated building enclosure rooted in hands-on research and development is admirable.

• Recirculating water shower is creative
• Farm to table
• Rooftop garden increases crop production and cools down the building

Architecture & Interior Design
The notable innovation in this project was the students’ work to reduce the carbon footprint of the concrete wall system.

Engineering & Construction
Highly innovative insulated concrete structural system and innovative concrete material. Innovative design of central mechanical core.

Market Potential
We appreciate the attempt at a low carbon concrete mix.

Communications & Marketing
Collaboration between university and community college. Had identified a community non-profit to benefit from their build.

Sustainability & Resilience
The FrameCAD construction is an innovative technology that allows site-formed, steel-framing that can be screwed together like a building-scale erector set.

• Underfloor heating and cooling
• South-facing aluminum turtle wall is a nice decorative element that decreases solar gain

Architecture & Interior Design
Modular concept and multiple configurations, smart systems, attainable yet durable finishes.

Engineering & Construction
Novel FrameCAD steel structural system offers a construction method that is affordable and easy to assemble. Innovative use of phase change material for improved thermal mass. Novel use of cooling from heat pump water heater to condition the crawl space in summer. Overall use of innovative technologies and products to improve house performance and livability.

Market Potential
The team integrates existing technology to fully realized potential including software, hardware, and market flexibility.

Communications & Marketing
Collaborating across continents.

Sustainability & Resilience

• The concept of a foldout house is innovative and interesting
• A house that could be transported as if it were a shipping container is unique!
• Wall-integrated air diffusers
• Lacked execution

Architecture & Interior Design
We were very impressed by the innovative shipping and setup concept – particularly the ability to set up extremely quickly and with only two people – and appreciated the variety of floor plans that were shown. The building shell and its modularity showed interesting potential for varied approaches.

Engineering & Construction
Very innovative modular approach, but potential compromise to energy performance. Innovative HVAC, but unproven performance improvements

Market Potential
There is potential for redeployability. Very transportable and easy to assemble.

Communications & Marketing
Had a lot of unique projects that exemplified their vision- e.g. cookbook, soapy water plants, greenhouse concept, and creative breakfast nook.

Sustainability & Resilience
The double-skin concept of a structure within a structure to create a greenhouse bio-habitat is noteworthy.

• Use of translucent Soliculture lumo-panels is a highly innovative solution
• Creative, homegrown greywater and rainwater systems

Architecture & Interior Design
Utilizing surplus shipping containers, creation of new PV panels that enhance the growing of plants, switching facade panels, off-grid optimization.

Engineering & Construction
The greenhouse wrapped around the house is a innovative design concept that is worthy of further development. Novel Soliculture PV modules generate electricity while promoting plant growth.

Market Potential
Shipping container homes are not a new idea, but the integration of a greenhouse structure/off-grid elements were well done and interesting.