UC Berkeley: University of California at Berkeley

R I S☰ is the University of California at Berkeley's stackable solution for urban infill that is being built for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2017. The goal of UC Berkeley's project is to create a simple, affordable, and sustainable home with an emphasis on practical, logical design solutions as opposed to expensive technologies and elaborate systems. The house will be available for middle- to low-income families struggling with the cost of housing in Richmond, CA, where, the team believes, an affordable and sustainable housing solution is absolutely necessary.

Design Philosophy

The team has tailored their house design to increase energy efficiency and strengthen community ties. Specifically, R I S☰ is stackable to make it more environmentally friendly and more community oriented than an individual unit. The design allows for multiplication and integration into larger sets of units that fit into small, infill lots in urban areas.

Planned Features and Technologies

• East and west façades designed as party walls to simulate use as an urban infill building
• Structure designed to represent the bottom unit of a 3-story model
• Moveable inner bedroom walls of sliding doors, folding queen beds, and spacious cabinetry
• A flexible floorplan that can be either a one- or two-bedroom unit.

Contact

Sam Durkin
773-458-5601