Solar Dechatlon

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Solar Dechatlon

Firm

Askeen

Type

Residential › Private House

STATUS

Concept

At Solar decathlon 2015, Askeen is sponsoring and supporting students of West Virginia University and Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, to design the building envelope and special windows for STILE, a house that merges Italian and Appalachian design concepts with innovative energy techniques.

STILE is a simple and compact house covered by an elegant, Roman-inspired arch. The arch creates a covered passage that guides visitors inside, shades the house, and supports the solar energy arrays. A patio occurs naturally as a result of the arch's shading effect.

STILE's floor plan maximizes public spaces and promotes an open flow with the outdoors. The northern section contains private spaces, including the bathroom, bedroom, and utility room. The rest of the house is designed as common space with entertaining in mind. This includes the kitchen and dining area as well as the large, open living room, which features a solar chimney that ventilates the house. In addition, many of the southern walls are large sliding-glass doors that can open to allow residents to enjoy nice weather inside and out.