Team New Jersey: Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey and New Jersey Institute of Technology
ENJOY House
ENJOY House suggests a new way of approaching high‐performance, energy‐efficient residential design. Cutting‐edge fabrication techniques meet the age‐old technology of concrete in its intelligent design.
Design Philosophy
The ENJOY House integrates passive strategies, new solar technologies, and contemporary architectural ideas. Built of pre‐cast concrete insulated panels, the house requires little upkeep compared with traditional stick‐frame materials. The highly insulated building envelope and passive solar strategies significantly reduce heating and cooling loads.
Features
- The concrete panels in all roof, wall, and floor assemblies use varied casting processes.
- Perforations allow for daylighting and dramatically improve thermal performance.
- An inverted‐hip roof allows for rainwater collection.
Technologies
- Evacuated solar thermal tubes heat domestic hot water and provide preheating for the hydronic radiant floor.
- The fiberglass-framed windows are high-performing, energy-efficient, and durable.
- The 9-kW photovoltaic system has a target daily output of 36 kWh.
- Energy recovery ventilators and dehumidifiers keep cool air inside the house while providing fresh air from outside.
Market Strategy
The ENJOY House is intended for a couple that retires to the Jersey shore. With a retiree's needs in mind, the team has designed a 960-ft2 (89-m2) house that is ADA-accessible. Team New Jersey has integrated universal design principles into its architecture to create a house that is accessible to people of all ages and levels of mobility.
What's Next
Nonprofit organizations in New Jersey as well as private homebuilders have expressed interest in taking possession of the ENJOY House after the competition. Team New Jersey hopes to determine the house's final destination before the start of Solar Decathlon 2011.
