The CTU team was the first Czech participant in this prestigious contest. For designing the house in the competition, the students chose RFEM.
Solar Decathlon Competition
The objective of the Solar Decathlon is to promote innovative architecture which is sustainable, energy-efficient, and has low operating costs. Each house originated on the premises of the respective university and was then transported to the USA for the final exhibition. The Decathlon took place for the sixth time in 2013. The scene of the competition was Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California.
The students of each competition team managed their projects independently. They provided the financing, designed the buildings, built the houses, and organized the transportation to the USA. Therefore, the Czech team consisted of students from different schools in the university, such as architecture, civil and mechanical engineering, and so on.
The AIR House
The concept of the Czech team's competition house, called the AIR House, combines minimal interior dwelling space with generous exterior space. The aim was to maximize the functional units outside the air-conditioned space and thus to minimize the energy that is necessary to maintain interior comfort. The students built an energy-efficient, mostly recyclable and healthy house which has a positive effect on the quality of life of its inhabitants.
The main supporting structure is formed by cross-laminated timber panels combined with massive timber panels, which are made with chemical-free, untreated timber from forests with PEFC certification. The panels do not emit any harmful substances and create a pleasant microclimate.
Panels with visual quality are applied in the interior. In this way, subsequent recycling is facilitated. In addition, the presence of wooden surfaces holds a positive appeal to the human psyche and creates a comfortable, warm atmosphere.
| Structural Engineering | Architecture, Structural Analysis, Planning, and Construction Student team of Czech Technical University (CTU) Prague, Czech Republic www.cvut.cz https://www.uceeb.cz/en/projects/air-house |
