Team Massachusetts: Massachusetts College of Art and Design and University of Massachusetts at Lowell
4D Home
The New England-inspired 4D Home is an affordable, ultra-efficient house that can adapt to a family's changing needs. The team hopes the 4D Home will serve as a precedent for home builders and designers in New England.
Design Philosophy
Team Massachusetts is concerned about the negative consequences of using nonrenewable energy sources for the built environment. Yet using renewable energy for buildings is successful only when baseline energy consumption is minimized through passive strategies. The 4D Home integrates efficient technology and passive strategies without compromising simplicity.
Features
- The exterior is composed of fiber cement board and wood-clad windows.
- The asymmetrical timber trellises provide seasonal shading and a covered transition to the interior.
- The two-bedroom layout is easily reconfigured via two sliding partition walls.
- The furniture, decor, and housewares were designed and fabricated by student team members.
Technologies
- The 28-panel photovoltaic array of monocrystalline silicon cells is 19.1% efficient.
- Hybrid solar thermal panels are mounted behind the photovoltaic modules for efficient heat transfer to the domestic hot water system.
- Blown fiberglass and closed-cell polyurethane spray foam insulation provide air-tightness.
- The refrigerator uses less electricity per year than a 60-W lightbulb.
Market Strategy
The 4D Home is a 945-ft2 (88-m2), two-bedroom house for a family of three in New England. The house is designed for a mid-thirties couple with a young child and an annual household income of around $100,000.
What's Next
Team Massachusetts is committed to finding a family to purchase and live in the house immediately after the competition. The home will be located in New England, where its performance will be monitored as the family lives in it.
