Design to Zero Competition Announces 32 Team Finalists for Sustainable Building Competition
Architecture And Design Projects From Seven Countries Will Compete For Awards And Honorable Mentions
As a leading global specialty chemical company committed to providing more efficient, renewable and innovative energy solutions, The Dow Chemical Company announced that 32 teams are finalists for its inaugural Design to Zero sustainable building competition. The competition, sponsored by Dow Solar, was designed as an innovative, interactive and collaborative team competition among students around the world. The final 32 teams are comprised of a culturally diverse group of architecture and design students from countries around the world including the U.S., Canada, Korea, China, Spain, France and Australia. Examples of the teams’ work can be found at https://www.designtozero.com/Teams.aspx.
The international Dow Solar Design to Zero Competition launched in mid-August 2011, and invited architecture and design students from around the world to submit net-zero energy home designs. The final teams were selected based on various criteria including the ability to incorporate active and passive solar technologies and sustainable building materials, with the objective of designing a multi-family residential dwelling that uses near-zero energy.
“We are excited with the diversity of ideas and enthusiasm from the students,” said Pat Nugent, New Business Development Director, Dow Solar. “We introduced the Design to Zero Competition to encourage critical thinking from future architectural professionals across the globe, and to expand our knowledge on global building practices that may become real world solutions in the future.”
The competition received tremendous interest, with a total of 132 teams entering the competition from 19 countries. During the first round of competition, 87 teams were chosen through a peer-review selection process based on their design submissions, to move onto the second stage of competition elections. Today’s announcement marks the third and final stage of the competition. The 32 final teams will compete for first, second and third places, winning $20,000, $10,000, and $5,000 — plus other honorable mentions to be defined. Dow will announce the final three winners and other recognitions by early-February, 2012.
Throughout the competition, teams have had an invaluable supporting resource in architect Peter Anders of Kayvala Consulting in Midland, Michigan. Anders acted as a consultant for the project, providing the progressive peer-review concept of the competition, and working closely with Dow in its implementation. He has supported the contestant community with updates, staging of the elections, and easy accessibility for questions and information.
Following are a few examples of student design innovations:
Houses that incorporate horizontal wooden slats on the exterior, keeping the sun out and providing shade for the building.
A net-zero energy residence which uses two methods for storing solar-generated electricity: an on-site advanced battery storage system and a direct connection to the local power grid.
Designs that track the sun’s patterns and intensity based on a specific region or location as a way to maximize solar energy generation.
A cooling system that reduces the temperature of a building’s exterior and diminishes the demand on mechanical load requirements for a home.
“It has really been exciting to engage international students on this project, and to work with Dow to help them envision a more efficient and humane future,” said Peter Anders. “Through Dow and Kayvala’s efforts we have created an innovative and constructive process for future leaders in building design to learn from each other and improve their own work. It lets them collaboratively address and design affordable, energy-efficient housing solutions for now and times to come.”
The Dow Design to Zero competition aligns with Dow’s commitment and vision articulated in its aggressive 2015 sustainability goals, which include developing and applying innovative technologies and collaborations that provide sustainability solutions to meet the world’s challenges. Design to Zero also supports Dow’s commitment to encourage and generate enthusiasm for the creative future of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in students.
For more information on the Dow Design to Zero Competition, or to register, please visit www.designtozero.com or our Facebook page.
About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology with the “Human Element” to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world’s most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow’s diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2010, Dow had annual sales of $53.7 billion and employed approximately 50,000 people worldwide. The Company’s more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 35 countries across the globe. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.
About Dow™ POWERHOUSE™
The DOW POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingles is a first-of-its kind product, designed to combine the benefits of solar technology with the durability and performance of traditional roofing materials. POWERHOUSE™ has been developed to introduce solar technology to a new generation of homeowners by providing an unprecedented integrated roof appearance and simplified installation. It combines a roofing shingle with a solar cell, enabling the DOW POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle to be installed by a roofer along with standard asphalt roofing materials. This makes the DOW POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle an easy choice for homeowners looking for a residential solar solution that is easy to install and aesthetically pleasing. Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) products from Dow Solar are one of the many innovations from Dow establishing the Company on the forefront of alternative energy solutions and expanding Dow’s commitment to using chemistry to solve the world’s energy challenges. More information about Dow Solar can be found at www.dowsolar.com. Homeowners and building professionals can also follow Dow Solar on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DowSolar) and Twitter (@DowSolar) or via YouTube.
Tags: architectural professionals, design projects, design submissions, diverse group, honorable mentions, new business development, residential dwelling, specialty chemical company, sustainable building materials
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