Sustainability & Resilience

This entry had one of the most holistic and comprehensive approaches to sustainability and resilience on campus. There was a high level of construction details backed up by solid modeling and analysis.

• Heavy design analysis related engineering and design of use
• LCA, Daylight studies
• Carbon-neutral hemp wool cellulose insulation
• Went through International Living Future Institute (ILFI) red list and incorporated red list free products to help reduce toxic chemicals in the home
• Drought-tolerant plants, organic edible gardens with California native plants
• Lower embodied carbon insulation by using hemp wool
• Greywater system – leapfrog grey water
• Solar with battery back-up
• Exterior wood cladding is not as fire-resistant as alternatives (i.e., concrete, steel)
• Daylight and views without proper shading (e.g., south-facing kitchen window) may compromise overall energy efficiency

High marks on resource, conservation, and upcycling. The combination of energyefficient home with ease of construction, ultra-insulation, and water-efficiency made this home sustainable. The use of upcycled paper into acoustic tiles and decorations was creative.

• Upcycling of campus paper and reclaimed materials were appreciated
• Incorporating green wall/lattice on outside of home helps with energy efficiency, air quality, and biophilia
• Ultra high R values of 24 for wall and R for 48 ceiling are highly energy-efficient
• Hydraloop greywater recycling system is a plus
• 250 gallons of rainwater harvesting is small but appreciated
• Using the concrete board as a siding is a resilient approach – non-flammable
• Self-contained water and electricity system (solar with back-up battery), so if there was an earthquake, could probably survive
• SIPs panels were presented as zero VOC – this is not the case
• Could benefit from rainscreen construction, air sealing, energy recovery vents, and solar tubes
• Additional due diligence necessary to determine solar capacity in relationship to demand (i.e., net-zero)

There was an interesting concept for a work-life co-habitat, and we appreciate the influences of Indian vernacular architecture. However, execution was not present for us to truly to make judgments on the sustainability and resilience of the house.

• Conceptually an energy-efficient modular home with lattice sun shade
• No one to explain to us, was unfinished, could not tell what was supposed to be sustainable
• No greywater and rainwater systems
• Having rooms in separate units and taking up space is not sustainable and energy-efficient. The ratio of enclosed volume to surface area is not ideal – adds to difficulty of keeping spaces warm or cool. Much more surface area, so more heating and cooling needed
• Dark asphalt roof does not contribute to alleviating the heat island effect

Community-driven mission statement combined with a holistic sustainable approach sets this entry apart. Overall, extremely impressive and well-integrated building with great execution, attention to detail, research, and documentation. Inclusion of passive-house strategies, including air-tightness, ERV, continuous insulation, and natural daylighting makes it the strongest contender.

• Amount of analysis related to daylight, acoustics, indoor air quality, and energy are admirable
• Connected to the world and community
• Tightly sealed building envelope combined with Energy Recovery Ventilation
• One of the few entries that used solar hot water and the only team with solar tubes!
• A net-zero home with 16 solar panels + battery system, which can help them to be off-grid
• R-values for walls and roof are very impressive
• Rapidly renewable cork can be harvested without cutting down trees
• Greywater system and rainwater harvesting
• ¼ inch plumbing, which is unusual and interesting and can potentially increase water efficiency and reduces material consumption
• White roof coating cooling and cost-effective
• Flexibility and versatility of space allows more usage of the space and promotes community resiliency
• Could have considered blown-in cellulose which is more eco-friendly or other carbon-neutral alternatives
• RECOMMENDATION: true rain screen construction would make home more resilient and energy-efficient

Innovative wall construction based on research with lightweight, low embodied concrete enclosure system with a high R value. Off-site construction built under factory conditions minimizes construction waste and expedites build time.

• Fiber glass with sheer connector prevents heat loss
• Fan-coil unit instead of a mini-split; heat exchanger that uses different technology resilient in terms of fire: 3-4 hours burn time
• Highest rating for resiliency related to earthquakes, wildfire, and wind
• High energy efficiency with R value of 24 for walls
• Farm to table food system
• Monitoring sensors for vertical garden
• Rainwater harvesting tanks
• Concrete flooring instead of vinyl plank
• Fiber glass connector instead of steel
• Concept wasn’t fully executed
• Incomplete documentation does not capture the range of technology used
• No solar battery backup

High-end modern design home that is both comprehensive and innovative, packing a lot of sustainable features into a compact housing unit.

• FrameCAD can be rapidly deployed on-site with minimal waste due to custom manufactured structural elements
• Steel is one of the field construction materials that can be recycled and has approximately 98% recycled content
• HEPA filter and ERV system
• R values of 27 on the wall and 53 on the roof make it highly energy efficient
• Recycled plastic cabinets
• Underfloor heating and cooling
• State-of-the-art solar water heater
• Team is commended for including extensive flashing details in construction documents
• Water conservation strategies and measures such as rainwater capture and greywater irrigation were not prioritized. For example, a laundry-to-landscape or a rainwater capture system could have been considered

Interesting concept of an easily transportable foldout house, but lacking in resilient constructability techniques and sustainability features.

• Steel frame has end-of-life recyclability
• Has potential for ease of deployment for emergency shelter
• Project brief was not present, so we were not able to refer back to them for the concept
• Construction does not seem likely to withstand the test of time.
• Questioning whether it meets Title 24 Part 6 California Energy Code
• Building envelope was not sealed and was porous, some gaps present
• Poorly insulated walls with thermal bridging issues
• Gas stove does not contribute to sustainability and resilience

Highly creative concept of putting a house inside a greenhouse yields a scrappy, resourceful, and unique concept home with a broad range of custom design sustainable features. We especially appreciated the attention to water conservation through biological greywater treatment and rainwater harvesting and energy generation through cutting edge PV technologies.

• We appreciate the biophilia
• Net zero solar with battery back-up – fully off-grid; bifacial and Soliculture panels
• Second-hand and repurposed furniture; appreciated upcycled and recycled materials and resources, including the container-style home, which reduces carbon footprints
• Greatest reuse of materials among all teams
• Internet connection using satellite technology
• Greenhouse roof provides good surface for rainwater capture
• Evapotranspiration from greenhouse plants will create cooler micro-climate
• Project would benefit from additional consideration around R value – air tightness and energy conservation.
• Innovative and experimental water filtration technologies may require further proof of concept
• Recommended strategy would be to consider incorporating a composting toilet