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Interior Open Plan Private to Public Gradation University of Texas at Austin’s “BLOOMhouse” intends to be an adaptable design using solar power as its inspiration. The design is a long, rectangular volume oriented with the long sides facing North/South for solar performance. On the interior, the open plan creates mixed-use zones rather than individual rooms. Obstruction of Open Plan Exterior Perspective, East End
South Exterior with Sliding East Panel Exterior Paneling BLOOMhouse’s skin is interactive with the environment. Lightweight plastic panels on a pre-mounted rack system block direct solar gain and provide ventilation by swaying with the wind. The east end living area can be opened to the outside with sliding doors. The large sliding panels on this end can also block solar gain or define outdoor space depending on its position. Also, on the southern side, shade screens help to block the sun in the summer months. The combination of the PV panels and shade screens give the roof line its v-shape. Solar / Passive
Windows on the north and south aren’t as large as one might expect of a fluid space design, although the transparent doors and east wall allow for more light and fluidity with the outdoors. North Elevation Section facing west through kitchen South Elevation Section facing north
“BLOOMhouse is constructed of 6” Structurally Insulated Panels (SIP's) with an R-24 value that reduce heating and cooling costs throughout the life of the home. Metal-faced SIPs perform structurally, and act as a thermal and moisture barrier. The Photovoltaic Panels, together with a roof brim form a butterfly shape for the roof. The PV Panels are mounted in racks of 5 on the flat roof that to speed deployment. The Bloomhouse has steel frames, called "moment frames," transferring pv rack loads to the foundation while also picking up lateral forces on the long sides of the building” (http://soa.utexas.edu/solard/node/36).
Foundation Plan Section through Floor The foundation is stacked standard, concrete masonry units on 24”x24” ABS plastic footing with the chassis in the center. The floor SIPs are OSB skin, meaning laminated plywood sandwich panels. The walls and roof SIPs are “Steel Snap-N-Lock” sandwich panels. The steel sheathing skins are bonded to an expanded polystyrene insulation core.
Connections Roof Steel Framing Plan The steel framing is 8’ o.c. on the west end until the deck meets the house, where the framing is 4’ o.c. This could be to provide more structural connections to the preassembled fiberglass decking or for more aesthetic reasons by defining a different type of space. The drawing above on the left shows how the SIP walls and steel framing are connected.
BLOOMhouse uses a 6.6 kW PV array system to power the home, including all its appliances and an electric car. On the west end of the roof, solar thermal collectors collect the heat from the sun to directly or indirectly heat the water for the house.
Interior surface materials used were bamboo flooring, different modular panels of Medite for interior wall and ceiling finishes, and varia resin panels for the bathroom and shower.
“Our design goal is to build a sealed house with minimum infiltration, and to use a ventilation system to control the supply of fresh air. This system has several advantages. First, energy consumption would decrease as large infiltration would be avoided during windy weather conditions. Also, mechanical ventilation provides better moisture transport control. Finally, mechanical ventilation supplies constant level of fresh air that enables filtration and provides higher level of air quality control in the house. An efficient multi-zone split system was selected to provide the greatest level of temperature control within the house. Additionally, a heat recovery unit helps reduce the total amount of energy being used to condition the interior space” (http://soa.utexas.edu/solard/node/16) Vent above kitchen area
“Solar thermal collectors absorb and store the sun's energy to provides warmth and hot water for the house. A hydronic radiant floor heating system will be installed in the BLOOM House to provide responsive and comfortable heating, while efficiently utilizing extra energy stored in the hot water system … A radiant floor system provides heat and comfort by radiant heat transfer through the floor, which distributes heat evenly to the occupied space, unlike a typical convection system. The system consists of three zones of circulating hot water in pex-al-pex tubing embedded in Warmboard Radiant flooring, a composite subfloor of plywood and an aluminum sheet for heat distribution, which sits beneath the hard wood floor. The heat from the water is conducted to the aluminum and up through the floor providing a comfortable, sustainable heating experience powered by the sun” (http://soa.utexas.edu/solard/node/16). Bloomhouse placed 1st in the hot water category of the competition.
Points were awarded on how many miles each team completed with their electric cars fueled by their PV systems. University of Texas placed 18th in this category.
The UT team also designed a more marketable 1,236 square foot home. This version, at about $82 per square foot, cost $110,636 and shares design strategies with the decathlon version. Their current projected budget is estimated at $450,000, including the construction cost, logistics and transportation cost, and funding for research. The team also put the competition house up for sale suggesting a minimum bid of $200,000.
