The Southern California Institute of Architecture and California Institute of Technology Computer-Animated Walkthrough (Text Version)
This is the text version of the Southern California Institute of Architecture and California Institute of Technology's U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 computer-animated walkthrough.
[Animation begins with still image of SCI-Arc/Caltech Solar Decathlon team cover page]
Voiceover: The SCI-Arc/Caltech Solar Decathlon house is a net-zero, solar-powered home designed for the City of Los Angeles.
[Animation begins with a cube and shows the building is derived from the platonic solid.]
Voiceover: The design begins with a platonic cube of 600 square feet.
[Square is stretched.]
Voiceover: The first alteration comes in the form of an elongation. This lengthening gives the building a north-south orientation.
[The south end of the building shrinks down, and the north side of the building lifts up.]
Voiceover: Next, the south nose of the building descends to increase the solar exposure on the roof. At the north end, the building lifts upwards, creating a carport beneath the building.
[Blocks of insulation float toward the building, creating a continuous shell of soft batt insulation.]
Voiceover: One of the most unique features of the house is the exterior insulation strategy, which we call "outsulation." Bricks of batt insulation are mounted on the outside of the building to create a continuous shell of insulation, thus minimizing thermal bridging through structural members.
[From above descends a skin that falls and wraps around the building.]
Voiceover: Lastly, a low-cost, coated skin wraps the entire building, providing a rainscreen that spans the modular breaks and unifies the building into one form.
[Ramps and terraces extend out of the building.]
Voiceover: Extending out from the east, west, and south faces of the building are ADA-accessible ramps and terraces, fashioned specifically for the competition.
[The camera begins to rotate around the building and show all sides of it. Once it completes an entire revolution, the camera begins to ascend up the main ramp and into the house.]
Voiceover: Rotating around the building, we see the resulting form. The iconic north nose reaches for the sky, while the southern nose descends towards the ground. These opposing conditions create a natural heat flow that can be either exhausted to cool the space or trapped to warm the space.
Voiceover: Ascending the ramp, as the general public will do for the competition, the tactile nature of the exterior skin becomes apparent.
[The camera enters house and fixes on the view of the kitchen.]
Voiceover: Upon entering the building, the public will be met with a view through the building at the east-west axis. Straight ahead is the kitchen, which is tucked into an optimal workspace. Each of the appliances are chosen specifically for their performance and energy use and are monitored through a smart meter to optimize efficiency and lower energy costs.
[The camera rotates to its right and looks up to see the terraced layout of the building.]
Voiceover: Looking up to the north window, we see another striking feature of the SCI-Arc house: the terraced interior space. Instead of compartmentalized rooms that divide and isolate spaces, the rooms of this house are separated by level changes, each of which has their own specific functions. These spaces can be divided by pull down shades for temporary privacy or left open to maximize natural daylighting and air circulation.
Voiceover: Ascending up the stairs, we get a sense of the different levels of the house and the experience of living "off the ground."
[The camera rotates back and down the terraced levels to see the rest of the house.]
Voiceover: Looking back to the south, the full interior space comes into view. From here, we see the sleeping levels directly in front of us and the living levels down below.
Voiceover: On the east wall, a series of permanent storage units are intermingled with removable furniture pieces made from recycled, non-toxic materials. The furniture can be deployed or stored to the homeowners delight.
[The camera descends the stairs, goes through the living room, and exits out the back door onto the south terrace.]
Voiceover: Descending through and out of the house, we exit through a large bank of folding doors that blur the line between interior and exterior space.
[Rotating back 180 degrees, the camera shows the house from the back.]
Voiceover: Looking back at the house, we see the solar array on the roof that is the full energy generator of the project.
[The camera ascends and takes a birds-eye view of the building.]
Voiceover: The SCI-Arc/Caltech Solar Decathlon House has been designed for the many communities of the Los Angeles region. It is a net-zero, solar powered housing solution for a city that loves its cars, its single family dwellings, and the health and well being of its people.
