Assignment 1: Narrative Among the many creative entries at the Solar Decathlon, Cornell University's house stands out for its unusual shape, a series of cylinders designed to evoke the historic silos found in upstate New York. For this reason; the interest and challenge that these shapes provided, coupled with the obvious attraction of having freely available construction documents for a compact, well designed and sustainable home, I chose to build my Revit model based on the Cornell Solar Home. Designed for the Solar Decathlon, Cornell's entry, as previously stated, is made up of a series of three 16 ft. diameter (130 sq. ft.) living modules which enclose a central courtyard. Suspended above these modules is an 8 kw array of solar panels that cover the entire structure,
serving to shade the various living modules below while creating an attractive top that brings the building together visually. To provide daylight and afford visual connection to the courtyard, glazed walls run along the interior of the unit, orienting each module (kitchen, bedroom, and living room) as they relate to the courtyard. Adding to this sense of flexibility and openness is the furniture, which can rotate between inside and outside. Exterior windows are restricted to narrow slots on each silo, while skylights admit added daylight to the interior. Entry Ramp
The teams consideration for sustainable construction techniques goes beyond environmental control strategies however. For both the interior and exterior finishes, materials were chosen based on the dual needs of creating a healthy living environment (preventing off-gassing, using sustainably harvested, or reused timber) and providing a warm and inviting living space for occupants. Sheathing the outside of the cylinders is a system of CORTEN corrugated steel cladding, which when in the sun, feeds a hot water heating system embedded within the wall. Additionally, all runoff is filtered through the roots of hydroponically grown plants, and reused as grey water. The result is a net zero house that makes great strides towards marrying sustainability with contemporary design. The house itself received mainly positive reviews at the competition, taking 7 th place overall out of 20 teams, and scoring well in a number of categories including hot water, communications, and home entertainment.
N Site Plan 1/8" = 1' Site Plan Issue A101 1/8" = 1'-0" 6/8/2011 5:37:35 AM
Room Legend 1 2 4 5 Ramp DN Bedroom 4 WC 5 Deck Floor Plan 3/16" = 1' 1 A106 Living 1 Kitchen 2 Floor Plan Issue A102 3/16" = 1'-0" 6/8/2011 5:37:41 AM 1 Final Plan
Spotlight Acoustic Ceiling Tile Penda nt Light Ceiling Plan 3/16" = 1' Roof Plan 3/16" = 1' 5' x 3' Solar Panel Ceiling and Roof Plans Issue A103 3/16" = 1'-0" 6/8/2011 5:37:51 AM
West Elevation 1/4" = 1' Level 1 0' - 0" Level 0-2' - 6" West Elevation Issue A104 1/4" = 1'-0" 6/8/2011 5:37:56 AM
South Elevation 1/4" = 1' South Elevation Issue A105 1/4" = 1'-0" 6/8/2011 5:38:00 AM
- --- Section A 1/4" = 1' Level 0-2' - 6" 1 Building Section 1/4" = 1'-0" Building Section Issue A106 1/4" = 1'-0" 6/8/2011 5:38:04 AM
2 Detail 1 1 1/2" = 1'-0" Cylinder Window Detail 1.5" = 1' 2' - 0" Corrugated Metal Siding 3 A107 Wall Detail 1 1.5" = 1' Wall Section 1.5" = 1' 3 Detail 2 1 1/2" = 1'-0" Wall Section and Details Issue A107 As indicated 6/8/2011 5:38:12 AM Wall Section
Room Schedule Number Area Level 1 156 SF Level 1 2 200 SF Level 1 3 Not Placed Not Placed 4 131 SF Level 1 5 29 SF Level 1 Door Schedule Count Height Width Type 1 6' - 8" 2' - 6" 30" x 80" 1 7' - 0" 2' - 6" 30" x 84" 1 7' - 0" 2' - 6" 30" x 84" Window Schedule Count Height Width Type 1 6' - 0" 2' - 0" 24" x 72" 1 6' - 0" 2' - 0" 24" x 72" 1 6' - 0" 2' - 0" 24" x 72" 1 10' - 0" 2' - 8" 35" x 72" 2 1 10' - 0" 2' - 8" 35" x 72" 2 1 6' - 0" 2' - 0" 24" x 72" Schedules Issue A108 6/8/2011 5:38:17 AM
Bedroom towards kitchen Living Room Interior Renders Issue A109 12" = 1'-0" 6/8/2011 5:38:25 AM 1 Interior 2_3 12" = 1'-0" 2 Interior 1_3
Aerial View Issue A110 6/8/2011 5:38:31 AM
Entry Ramp Issue A111 6/8/2011 5:38:37 AM
Exterior Perpsective A Issue A112 6/8/2011 5:38:44 AM
Exterior Perspective B Issue A113 6/8/2011 5:38:50 AM