The European Union funded competition is organised by the Secretary of State for Housing and Urban Development at the Spanish Ministry of Public Works.
The only UK entry, known as SunBloc, has been designed to address the issues facing sustainable urban development. Constructed using innovative, low-cost, lightweight materials and utilising the PassivHaus strategy; the house is parametrically designed to adapt to its environment and to reclaim unused parts of the city, from disused railways to building rooftops.
The team, largely comprised of students from Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Design, have not only designed a building that could change the urban landscape for the future, they have utilised the latest in energy efficiency methods to radically reduce the amount of energy used by the house. With the latest in solar photovoltaic and solar thermal technology, SunBloc will generate enough energy, to not only power itself but also the surrounding buildings.
The SunBloc house has the capacity to be parametrically tailored to adapt to its location and environment, and also to meet individual interior requirements. Window openings, services and furniture are integrated into the design, providing the occupant with adaptable, fluid and sensuous living environment.
For the main competition event in 2012, the house will be constructed and tested in Madrid. The 20 innovative designs will be open to public and industry, expecting 7000 visitors per day. The team is also looking to exhibit trade fairs in London during July 2012. This will demonstrate SunBloc to an even wider audience, creating awareness of the many opportunities presented by clean-energy products and the innovative developments being made in sustainable construction.
Anne Markey, Head of ASD Projects in the Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Design said It is great to see students from London Metropolitan University be part of this competition – the future of the industry is developed through initiatives such as the Solar Decathlon competition, bringing together academics, students and organisations from various disciplines.
- The HelioMet Team is also being supported by industry professionals:
- Adams Kara Taylor (AKT) – Structural Engineers
- BDSP Partnership – Environmental engineers
- Ramboll Safe Fire Engineers
- Gardiner & Theobald – Quantity Surveyors
The project is completely funded by the support of other organisations, so if anybody wishes to be part of this innovative competition, please get in touch.
