| | In October of 2007 Green Alchemy was pleased to join the Santa Clara University Solar House team as they created a beautiful solar powered home for the 'Solar Decathlon' competition hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy. The contest requires each home to perform set tasks while maintaining all the comforts of an American home.
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| | Yasmin and Ty from the SCU Solar House team meet with Deborah. | |
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| | When Yas called me and asked me about doing a garden design for a house in Santa Clara I told her I don't work on the peninsula and started to give her referrals of firms in the San Francisco area. "But wait" she said. She went on to explain this was a very special house, a solar home, and it was going to be shipped to Washington DC to compete in the Solar Decathlon. I perked up at that and said "Wait a second, don't talk to anybody else."
Yas went on to explain the competition and how SCU was a late entry, we were already behind schedule. I had her send me the pdf files so I could get started right away.
Yaz and Ty (interior design coordinator) met me at Samovar Tea Lounge in SF and we discussed the direction of the garden for the solar home. While the landscaping was not included in the criteria of the competition the SCU team felt it was important. Eric Corey Freed of Organic Architecture was consulting with the SCU team and had referred me because he knew about Green Alchemy's design philosophy and saw how it is in perfect sync with the 'fresh and outdoorsy spirit' aesthetic and architecture of the SCU solar home. The SCU home was Erics second involvement in the Solar Decathlon, he was with Cal Poly when they competed and took the bronze in 2005 . | |
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| | Within two months the home would be assembled and tested at the SCU campus and then shipped to Washington DC. Plants cannot cross state lines so it was up to me to secure sources in the DC area. I checked out the websites of the other competing schools and saw that some had elaborate plant scapes utlizing 'living walls' and 'heat reflecting water gardens' but we didn't have time for anything like that. We chose to focus on the 'marketability' factor of the competition and utilize the plantings to create a welcoming appearance. I also suggested we use interior plants to give more warmth to the inside as well. | |
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| | It's not because I'm a regular attendee at SolFest every year that I know more than a few things about solar homes and living with alternative forms of energy. My daughter Sally is a sustainable designer and has been a catalyst for my deeper understanding of issues like extended carbon footprint and levels of VOC. I felt confident about creating a garden that would integrate with the lifestyle of anyone that would live in the SCU solar home. | |
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| | I visited the home once while it was still at the SCU campus, 4 days before it was scheduled to leave. The setting was chaotic with construction activity and debris, but I am used to that. The decking was not completed and the planter boxes that were to hold the plants hadn't been built yet. There were a few changes to the drawings that I had to work with but nothing I couldn't handle. I was met by Ty and he showed me into the house and graphically described what the finished interiors were going to look like.
The house plan started off as a basically boring rectangle. The Dean of the college told the students they could take on the competition but the house could not look like a shoebox. He also said he wanted the house to reflect the University architecture and its Spanish style. SCU has no architecture department so they struggled for a bit and the design of the house evolved on its own. But it still wasn't quite right, so SCU, being a Jesuit school, contacted a sister school in El Salvador that has a architecture department and asked if they had an eligible student that might want to come to America a be a part of this team. Enter Harardo, his magic pencil touching paper, a few slight but significant changes and the final design came to life.
The Solar Decathlon competition only allows 20 universities to compete and is open to all nations. Each house must perform set tasks, like provide power for an electric vehicle and operate a number of appliances at the same time. The competition is only held every two years and attracts tens or thousands from around the globe. SCU will be going up against heavy weights such as MIT, Carnegie Mellon and Universities from Germany, Spain and Canada. | |
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| | The house and the team traveled to Washington DC to set up shop and kick some alternative energy booty. Unfortunately, the trailer transporting the house broke an axle half way across the Great Plains. Ah the joys of internet access via cell phones. The team was all over it and in no time the house was back on the road and rolling onto the great mall.
While Santa Clara, ‘the underdog’ team, waited the other competing teams were setting up their houses. But hey, the team made photo ops out of it and took time to pose with the very top staff from our impressive U.S. Department of Energy. | |
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| | When I got to DC the house was still in the process of becoming a ‘home’. The decks and planters were not in place yet. And there was a heat wave happening. I was introduced to the teachers involved in the project and given a bunk at the prof’s place. | |
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| | The energy on the mall was intense. Countdown to show time. Every team was working non stop around the clock. Teachers, staff, parents, friends came and went with transportation, food, lending their help where they could. The Decathlon staffers made sure protocol was adhered to and regular safety inspections kept everyone in check. Temporary lights guided many through the night as panels were connected and tests were conducted on various systems that would make or break a team’s success in the competition. And then, out of nowhere the University of Puerto Rico would take up musical instruments and have a dance party. Hey! | |
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| | Ty, Yas and I jumped in a UHaul and headed out to the country. Along the way we stopped at a road side stand selling pumpkins and gourds. It seemed so perfect, staying in tune with the season and making our house more of a home. | |
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| | Not much was happening in the plant nurseries at this time of year. The growing season was over and business was slowing down. I had been warned by my plant contact on the east coast so I was prepared. We went to a couple of wholesale places that were really bare and boring and then ended up at Merrifield Garden Center - and fell in love with this place. The staff was excellent, the nursery wasn’t at capacity but they still had plenty for us to choose from, and they gave us a decent discount and promised to come see us on the great mall.
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| | Prior to our trip out to the nurseries I had explored the neighborhood around the great mall and was surprised at how many of the plants in the landscape were not only familiar to me but amongst my favorites. Ipomoea, Echinacea, Abelia, I was in good shape, as long as I left before the snow started to fly. | |
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| | We bring the plants home. | |
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| | The color scheme of the plant design was chartreuse and burnt red for the shade side and grey and white for the side with the east/south exposure. There was a variety of texture and seasonal interest. Edibles were incorporated and bird attractants. All the plants were water thriftily. | |
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| | Interior plants wait their turn. | |
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| | The Echinacea at the front door was a huge hit with the public. | |
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| | We wanted the interior of the house to integrate with the exterior. This photo is a good example of a job well done. The Nana doors open wide to make the deck a extension of the home. That’s a fig tree at the front door. | |
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| | It was during the opening ceremony that I had an epiphany. Assistant Secretary Alexander Karsner of DOE spoke of The Solar America Initiative as a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) effort to accelerate the development of advanced solar energy technologies. The goal is to make solar electricity cost-competitive with conventional forms of electricity by 2015.
My life has always been about alternatives and here I was listening to how my government had goals in place to make some of my ideals into a reality. I have a lot of reasons for being dissatisfied with our government but at this moment I was very proud to be an American. I guess a trip to DC can do that to a person.
I looked at the students in attendance that came from schools around the globe and I saw how alternative energy is not an ideal for them, it is a reality, a part of their lifestyle. Mr. Karsners words filled me with the realization there is change happening if I choose to pay attention and get involved.
If you ever get a chance to hear Mr Karsner speak don’t screw it up. He speaks with a unique balance of enthusiasm and eloquence that makes him as impressive as it does inspirational. | |
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| | The SCU team was a powerhouse. The underdogs who started three days later than everyone else due to a broken axel were passing their systems tests and ready with open doors when most of the other teams were still hammering and putting on finishing touches. SCU was well organized and their tours for the public were flawless. Oh yeah, they get points for their tours too. | |
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| | Once the Decathlon opened there was nothing to do but sit back while the students showed their home to the public. It was an honor to assist them with the garden design and procurement, it was fun to work with them putting it together, and it was great to answer their questions and educate them so they could add that to their experience of the home. Thanks SCU. | |
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| | Relaxing on the deck between tours. | |
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| | The solar home must charge the solar go cart and the mileage logged is part of the competition. | |
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| | This is a bit of a 'Where's Waldo?' picture. It was a lot of fun to mingle with the crowds on opening day. | |
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| | The feedback from the public was that the SCU house was very comfortable and they could see themselves living in it. And that is exactly what SCU was after. SCU takes third place. Congratulations! | |
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