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Title
Build Challenge
Subtitle
2005
Location
Washington, D.C.
Date Start
October 7
Date End
 - 16, 2005

2005 Photo Gallery Of Homes

Here, you can see photos of the completed houses for Solar Decathlon 2005 on the National Mall. You can also read a Daily Journal and view Photos of the Day to see the students in action who built these beautiful houses and to learn more about solar energy, energy efficiency, and other renewable energy technologies.

California Polytechnic State University

Photo of the California Polytechnic State University 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of home office work area.

Photo of large doors and windows.

Photo of kitchen.

(L) This home office area in the Cal Poly house separates the living room and bedroom.
(M) Cal Poly's front entrance features large, south-facing doors and windows. The team installed overhangs to prevent heat gain from the summer sun but that allow in the warmth of the winter sun.
(R) The work areas in the Cal Poly kitchen all have a view through a window.

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Canadian Solar Decathlon (Concordia University and Université de Montréal)

Photo of the Canadian 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of window with solar electric cells and a motif of autumn leaves.

Photo of operable window shade and window.

Photo of house interior with natural daylight.

(L) The Canadian team fashioned a window with solar electric cells and a motif of autumn leaves.
(M) The Canadian team uses operable window shades to control daylighting.
(R) Team Canada's living room featuring plenty of natural daylighting.

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University of Colorado, Denver and Boulder

Photo of the University of Colorado, Denver and Boulder 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of living room with large windows.

Photo of kitchen with small windows at ceiling height.

Photo of bedroom with built-in desk and workspace.

(L) The living room of the Colorado team's house features high-performance, north facing windows that provide diffuse light without significant heat gains or losses.
(M) Colorado's kitchen is visible from the living room. Clerestory windows at the roofline allow in natural daylight.
(R) The bedroom in the Colorado house includes a home-office workspace.

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Cornell University

Photo of the Cornell University 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of a dining table and kitchen with view down a hallway.

Photo of living room with glass doors and windows, and a light on above.

Photo of built-in storage.

(L) The Cornell house is built on a long, east-west axis. From the living room, the kitchen and dining area are visible with the bedroom and bath beyond.
(M) Two energy-efficient lighting strategies at work in the Cornell living room. Windows and doors offer natural daylighting; an electric fixture casts light on to the light-colored ceiling.
(R) Ample storage is built into the north wall of the Cornell home.

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Crowder College

Photo of the Crowder College 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of entryway to house.

Photo of dining table and chairs on wood floor next to wood-trimmed window.

Photo of kitchen with wood floor, trim, and cabinetry.

(L) The welcoming entryway, which can also serve as a secluded patio, to the Crowder College house.
(M) The Crowder team chose wood from the Pioneer Forest in the Ozarks for much of the cabinetry, trim, and flooring in their home.
(R) The kitchen in the Crowder house features cabinetry and trim made from local wood.

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Florida International University

Photo of the Florida International University 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of living room with large windows visible.

Photo of dining area with table and chairs.

Photo of bedroom with large windows visible.

(L) The Florida team's house is approximately one-third hurricane-proof glass.
(M) The Florida team's dining area.
(R) The bedroom "footprint" is a mirror image of the living room "footprint," but furnished differently.

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New York Institute of Technology

Photo of the New York Institute of Technology 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of a loft bedroom.

Photo of two chefs preparing food in a kitchen.

Photo of a man sitting on a sofa.

(L) The loft bedroom of the NYIT house is above the living room.
(M) The NYIT kitchen, like all those in Solar Decathlon homes, is small, but not too small for these chefs from the culinary school, who prepared meals for the students.
(R) The living, dining and home-office furniture were designed and built by NYIT students to be multifunctional. This sofa can be used to cool or warm its occupants.

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Pittsburgh Synergy (Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh, and The Art Institute of Pittsburgh)

Photo of the Pittsburgh Synergy (Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh, and The Art Institute of Pittsburgh) 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of back porch of Pittsburgh house.

Photo of bedroom with translucent wall.

Photo of dining table, desk, and seating area inside. Seating area on back porch visible through windows.

(L) The back, south-facing porch of the Pittsburgh house makes an inviting seating area.
(M) The translucent, north-facing wall of the Pittsburgh house allows diffuse daylight to enter the bedroom space.
(R) The dining, home-office, and living spaces of the Pittsburgh house commune with the outdoor seating area through large, south-facing windows.

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Rhode Island School of Design

Photo of the Rhode Island School of Design 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of man sitting at built-in desk working at computer.

Photo of dining table in outdoor, rooftop garden.

Photo of wall made up of glass doors.

(L) The interior of RISD's north wall features custom-made cabinetry and a small home-office space.
(M) Team RISD's roof garden made for lovely outdoor dining on the National Mall with a spectacular view of many of the nation's treasured landmarks.
(R) The south wall of the RISD house opens up completely so that its inhabitants can extend their living area, weather permitting.

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Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Photo of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of man sitting at dining table with large window visible.

Photo of living room with window with solar-electric cells visible.

Photo of house at night with lights on—south façade is almost all glass.

(L) The Madrid team's dining area has a view through large south-facing windows.
(M) Team Madrid's living room features windows with solar-electric cells. The whole room can move to reveal an interior patio.
(R) The expanse of south-facing glass on the Madrid house is dramatic during the day and at night.

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Universidad de Puerto Rico

Photo of the Universidad de Puerto Rico 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of an outdoor deck.

Photo of a desk and computer facing a window.

Photo of living room with outdoor deck visible through doors.

(L) The Puerto Rico team added a generous deck to the east side of their house.
(M) Puerto Rico's home office workspace looks out on the front entryway.
(R) The living room of the Puerto Rico house opens up to an outdoor deck.

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University of Maryland

Photo of the University of Maryland 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of team Maryland's kitchen and dining area with students preparing a meal.

Photo of back of Maryland house.

Photo of student sitting on couch—windows that provide natural light above and behind the seating area are visible.

(L) The shared kitchen and dining area of the Maryland house is one half of the open floor plan that includes the living area.
(M) The back of team Maryland's house features two decks—one off the kitchen and one off the bedroom.
(R) A welcome living area greets the visitor when entering team Maryland's home. Clerestory windows above the space provide lighting during the day.

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University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Photo of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of woman sitting at table next to window.

Photo of a living room.

Photo of a kitchen.

(L) Each Solar Decathlon home had to provide a well-lit work area. UMass placed theirs next to a south-facing window for plenty of natural light.
(M) The living area of the UMass Solar Decathlon home.
(R) The UMass kitchen looks like a typical kitchen, but, of course, it's powered by solar.

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University of Michigan

Photo of the University of Michigan 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of man sitting at desk reading. An overhead window provides light.

Photo of Michigan house at night with windows lit from within.

Photo of kitchen work areas—stove, cook top, and sink—with bar area.

(L) This arching window follows the roofline of the Michigan house and provides natural daylighting into the home work and living spaces.
(M) The windows in the Michigan house provide natural light during the day and a lovely view from the outside by night.
(R) Team Michigan's kitchen area features a compact workspace that integrates seating for eating and visiting.

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University of Missouri-Rolla and Rolla Technical Institute

Photo of the University of Missouri-Rolla and Rolla Technical Institute 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of living room with wood-paneled ceiling.

Photo of kitchen island and dining area.

Photo of bathroom with wood accents and cabinets.

(L) The roof angle of the Missouri-Rolla house optimizes solar energy collection and makes for a dramatic wood-paneled ceiling in the living room.
(M) The kitchen, with its central island, was very popular with visitors to the Missouri-Rolla team's house.
(R) Wood detailing is a theme carried throughout the Missouri-Rolla house, even in the bathroom.

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University of Texas at Austin

Photo of the University of Texas at Austin 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of kitchen and dining table.

Photo of a living room with large south-facing glass doors.

Photo of evacuated tube solar thermal collector.

(L) The kitchen and dining area in the Texas house.
(M) The Texas design included plenty of natural light and mesquite (abundant in Texas) wood flooring.
(R) Texas used their solar thermal collectors as an attractive design element.

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Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Photo of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of kitchen.

Photo of living room with translucent walls and curved ceiling.

Photo of Virginia Tech house at night.

(L) The kitchen in the Virginia Tech house.
(M) Translucent walls and curved ceiling, which the Architecture jury appreciated, are clearly visible in the Virginia Tech team's living room.
(R) The walls of the Virginia Tech house allow light in during the day and glow with light at night.

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Washington State University

Photo of the Washington State University 2005 Solar Decathlon house.

Photo of students sitting at table as seen through an outside window.

Photo of ceiling beams.

Photo of kitchen.

(L) The Washington State team's dining table has a view out an east-facing window.
(M) The beams in the Washington State house are made from parallel strand lumber.
(R) Washington State's kitchen.

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