Washington — Students at Belgium’s Ghent University decided to do some homework before designing their solar house. In September 2009, they traveled to Washington to see for themselves what the Solar Decathlon was all about and, as one student put it, “learn some tips and tricks.”
The homes on display at Washington’s National Mall were beautifully designed and equipped with sleek, high-tech solutions for modern, zero-carbon living. Attractive, recalled 24-year-old Ghent University student Michael Arens, but were they built for a mass market?
“The thing that got us all thinking was, ‘OK, this is the most energy-efficient house, but who can afford it? So what’s the use then?’” Arens said. “Our goal became to prove that it’s possible to make a house that is energy efficient and accessible for all kinds of people — as long as they’re willing to live a little differently.”
After intense brainstorming and developing four alternative designs, they settled on the E-Cube, a factory-built, “do-it-yourself” kit of a house that meets basic living needs without splurging on expensive materials or finishes. The Ghent University students estimate their house, appliances included, will cost a homebuyer about $268,000 — roughly one-half of where winning Solar Decathlon houses have been priced in the past.
Arens and the three other students who initiated the project merged features from each of their four alternative designs into one. The process was challenging at times. Now, a core team of seven students, Team Belgium, has also learned the hard way that Belgian building codes don’t always facilitate unconventional home design, and that red tape can slow down students eager to get a project done.
In the end, however, they are thrilled with the outcome.
Shaped exactly like it sounds, the two-story E-Cube (short for Energy Cube) measures 8 meters by 8 meters and provides a total living area of exactly 93 square meters — the maximum floor space allowed in the Solar Decathlon. It’s a basic, functional two-bedroom house with an open, high-ceilinged central living area that makes the space look bigger than it is.
The cube shape makes the house compact, reducing the surface area exposed to the elements. Such efficiencies, coupled with a lack of “extras” such as wall paint and decorations, help keep it affordable. By mixing “warm” material (wood) with “cold” material (steel), members of Team Belgium say they have given the house a unique and appealing look.
“We didn’t want to make something that looked really beautiful or like a traditional house,” Arens said. “Our goal was to prove that it’s possible to live in a sustainable, energy-efficient house that is affordable — even if you have to live a little differently. I’m really glad that this is the house we ended up with. And in the end, it’s the basic simple design that makes it beautiful.”
More information on the E-Cube is available on a website for the project.
