Franklin Native Helps Build Solar House on the National Mall
SOLAR DECATHLON
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Jessica Leving
Boston University Washington News Service
10/15/09
WASHINGTON—It looks like any other contemporary house. With stained cedar paneling and sleek floor-to-ceiling windows, it would fit in seamlessly on any posh urban avenue. Inside, its stainless steel appliances and hip furniture offer an inviting and cozy atmosphere. There’s even a bowl of fresh green apples on the counter.
But the Curio House is not your average home—it’s a project of Team Boston, one of 20 elite teams storming the National Mall in Washington this week as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon, an international collegiate competition that challenges students to design, build and operate completely solar-powered houses.
Jonathan Hanson, a Franklin native and a 2009 graduate of Boston Architectural College, is a vital Team Boston member.
“The whole idea is about living curiously,” said Mr. Hanson, 24, who attended Whitinsville Christian School.
“It’s about asking questions and assessing your own lifestyle to live in a more sustainable way,” he said. “We’re taking an urban approach because it’s not sustainable to live in the suburbs, on three acres of land and driving to get a gallon of milk.”
After almost two years of designing, fundraising and constructing, the team, composed of students or recent graduates of Tufts University and Boston Architectural College, arrived in Washington a week ago along with five trucks of materials and tools. The 800-square-foot house, which had already been built in Boston, was taken apart and reassembled on the National Mall, complete with 28 solar panels, Mr. Hanson said.
All of the houses are judged on 10 criteria ranging from basics like architecture and market viability to quirkier categories like comfort and home entertainment. As part of the competition, each house had to host two dinner parties and a movie night (all houses screened “The Dark Knight,” the most recent Batman film, Mr. Hanson said).
“The winner of the competition is the team that best blends aesthetics and modern conveniences with maximum energy production and optimal efficiency,” according to the Department of Energy Web site.
The Curio House’s cedar panels are naturally decay-resistant, and the windows are made from a high-tech gel that traps heat from the sun and uses it to warm the house. The appliances are powered completely by solar energy, and the house actually produces more energy than it consumes.
“Our house is priced at $325,000, which we consider affordable for something like this,” Mr. Hanson added. Without the bells and whistles needed for the competition, he said, future versions of the house could hit the real estate market for around $225,000.
Since the decathlon kicked off last week, Team Boston has already been graded in eight of the categories. As of Thursday, they were in 11th place, with high marks in architecture and marketing communication, but lower scores in home entertainment and appliance output.
The final winners will be announced Friday.
“We’re having a party Friday night,” Mr. Hanson said. “Hopefully it will be a victory party, but if not, we will still be celebrating what we’ve accomplished.”
The 20 houses have been on display on the National Mall all week, forming a mini solar-powered city. The teams were not allowed to sleep in their houses, and instead had to book local hotel rooms.
After the competition, the Curio House will be sent to a new sustainable development community, Community Green, in Sandwich, a 40-acre property offering vocational training and affordable housing to homeless and low-income individuals and families.
“There have been two serious interests in actually reproducing the Curio House, too,” Mr. Hanson said.
“We’ve also gotten a lot of interest from people in the New England area asking if we do consulting work,” he added. “We’ve all been passing out personal business cards all week.”
Mr. Hanson works full-time as a designer with Boston’s Silverman Trykowski Associates—that is, he did when he wasn’t spending 30 hours a week constructing and marketing the Curio House.
“We’ve all been saying when we go back to Boston, we don’t know what we’re going to do with all of our free time,” he said with a smile.
The goal of the Solar Decathlon is to bring attention to sustainable development and energy issues in an innovative and interactive way, according to the competition Web site.
To be selected, teams must submit a proposal to a committee of architectural and engineering professionals. Once selected, each team receives $100,000 in seed money.
Since the first event in 2002, 74 teams have competed in the decathlon. The contest is sponsored by the Department of Energy, Applied Materials, BP, PEPCO and Schneider Electric.
Biobox:
Name: Jonathan Hanson
Age: 24
Hometown: Franklin
Education: Boston Architectural College
Current Firm: Silverman Trykowski Associates
Past Projects: Caritas Christi Health Care, MIT Game Room, Stonehurst in Waltham
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