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Introducing Team Tidewater Virginia: our team of Hampton and Old Dominion University students
represents the Tidewater region of Virginia: a place teeming with history, where
the sea and land meet. It was on Hampton’s campus, under the shade of this tree, the
Emancipation Oak, that the Emancipation Proclamation was read for the very first time to freed
slaves. Our home, the Canopy House, pays homage to
the Emancipation Oak. This great tree epitomizes everything a home should provide: a sustainable
environment, shelter, and independence.
The Canopy House is organized into public and private space, a mechanical room, and
the DIEM wall. DIEM stands for Data Integrating Engineering and Mechanics, as the entire home’s
systems run through this main wall to the mechanical room.
Structurally, the Canopy House resembles a tree. I-beams underneath the foundation act
as the roots. These roots support the “trunk” that is the DIEM wall, which supports the
cantilevered “branches” that frame the solar canopy overhead.
The “Solar Canopy,” is an array of 43 solar panels that powers all of the systems
that run the house. The panels convert the sun’s energy into electricity, which the
DIEM Wall transports to the rest of the house.
The innovative “SunDrum” system runs water on the solar panels during peak sunshine.
This cools the panels down, making them even more efficient.
Recycled water from the SunDrum goes into the hot water system. The tank in the hot
water system stores excess heat produced during the day. At night, the stored heat maintains
the temperature of the water in the tank and warms the house through radiant floor heating.
The Canopy House was designed from the very beginning with the principles of universal
design and aging-in-place in mind. Our design allows people of all ages and abilities to
live and play comfortably, safely, and independently. Located inside the home on the DIEM wall is
HUEE. HUEE is an interactive, touch-screen and voice-controlled interface. HUEE displays
information important to the homeowner, such as the temperature, weather, energy monitoring,
and maintenance.
The living room is a versatile space for entertaining and relaxing. The custom designed sofa pulls
out to become a bed that accommodates houseguests.
The kitchen in the Canopy House features accessible appliances. The dining table can be arranged
in multiple configurations for entertaining.
In the southwest corner, a set of floor to ceiling windows opens up completely to the
outside. This provides both natural ventilation and fosters a connection to the outdoors.
A barrier free shower, roll-under sink, and grab bars allow both the able-bodied and the
wheelchair-bound to move around comfortably in the bathroom.
Across from the bathroom is the “flexspace,” a multi-use area that houses the washer, drier,
and office space. The bedroom of the Canopy House is a spacious
retreat with an accessible built-in closet.
On the deck of the Canopy House is a comfortable lounge space. Outside, the DIEM Wall is covered
in planters, creating a vertical garden. An overhanging trellis provides plenty of shade
from the southern sun.
We hope you’ve enjoyed your tour of the Canopy House. Make sure to come visit us at
the 2013 Solar Decathlon. The Canopy House: The house for a lifetime.
The background music used in the video is an original composition by communications
team members Julia Weldon-Hall and Dexter Johnson.