Team Massachusetts Competes in U.S. Department of Energy's 2011 Solar Decathlon with 4D Home Design

Massachusetts College of Art and Design and University of Massachusetts Lowell debut solar-powered "4D Home".

2011-09-16

BOSTON, MA, September 16, 2011 (Press-News.org) After nearly two years of committed planning and design, the 2011 Solar Decathlon Team Massachusetts heads to Washington, D.C. where its completed "4D Home" will participate alongside 19 other collegiate entries in this year's competition. A unique dwelling that boasts both affordable and sustainable design elements, the "4D Home" is fully solar-powered, cost-effective and energy-efficient.

"Team Massachusetts showcases public higher education at its best. The creation of this self-sustaining home designed and developed by students at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and the University of Massachusetts Lowell can be a new model for the future development of affordable housing in America," says Dawn Barrett, President of Massachusetts College of Art and Design. "This is an important example of how the creative economy works to contribute and help solve important economic development issues facing our nation today."

First-time competitors, Team Massachusetts is comprised of students from Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) and the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell) and is one of 19 collegiate teams from around the world participating in this award-winning program. Their design, the "4D Home," is fit for a family of three, with stow-away couches, desks and chairs as well as movable walls to meet the changing needs of its occupants throughout their lives. A modern interpretation of New England-style housing, the "4D Home" is befitting for Team Massachusetts, incorporating area residential trends and boasting a variety of innovative, energy-saving components.

"Our mission was to create a home, not just a house," says Spencer Culhane, project manager and recent architecture program graduate of Massachusetts College of Art and Design. "We concentrated on incorporating practical elements into the design so that it would be resourceful and innovative, but also comfortable for a family."

The "4D Home" will be on display in Washington, D.C.'s West Potomac Park as part of the solar village beginning Friday, September 23rd through Sunday, October 2nd.* Please visit www.solardecathlon.gov for the official event schedule.
*Press previews will occur September 21-22; MassArt president, Dawn Barrett, and Team Massachusetts members will also be available for comment.

About Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Massachusetts College of Art and Design is one of the top colleges of its kind in the United States. Founded in 1873, MassArt has a legacy of leadership as the only independent public college of art and design in the country and the nation's first art school to grant a degree. The college offers a comprehensive range of baccalaureate and graduate degrees in art and design, all taught by world-class faculty, along with continuing education and youth programs designed to encourage individual creativity. Whether at home in Boston or on the other side of the globe, the artists and designers of MassArt are dedicated to making a difference in their communities and around the world. For more information, visit www.massart.edu.

About UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell, with a national reputation in science, engineering and technology, is committed to educating students for lifelong success in a diverse world and conducting research and outreach activities that sustain the economic, environmental and social health of the region. UMass Lowell offers its 13,000 students more than 120 degree choices, internships, five-year combined bachelor's to master's programs and doctoral studies in the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Management, the School of Health and Environment, and the Graduate School of Education. www.uml.edu

About Solar Decathlon
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is an award-winning program that challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. The first Solar Decathlon was held in 2002; the competition has since occurred biennially in 2005, 2007, and 2009. The next event will take place at the National Mall's West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., Sept. 23-Oct. 2, 2011. Open to the public free of charge, visitors can tour the houses, gather ideas to use in their own homes, and learn how energy-saving features can help them save money today.

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

4TH R Foundation: Science Has a Closed Mind on Wisdom - Wisdom is Super Mature Emotional Intelligence (Now Defined Within the Paradigm of Science); Wisdom Education is Emotional Intelligence Education

2011-09-16

From the very beginning our philosophers and scientists realized that the key to great societies was wisdom. They saw that wisdom was real and that if only they could figure out what it is and how to teach it; they would be able to create wise societies. Ever since the times of Aristotle till today, man has been trying to figure out wisdom by putting wisdom under the microscope. As wisdom is an innate property of the pure self it is a secondary entity; just like fragrance is a property of the flower. It is exactly like a symptom of a disease. So by putting wisdom under ...

Study update: Cancer information on Wikipedia is accurate, but not very readable

2011-09-16

PHILADELPHIA--It is a commonly held that information on Wikipedia should not be trusted, since it is written and edited by non-experts without professional oversight. But researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson have found differently, according to a study published online Sept. 15 in the Journal of Oncology Practice. Reassuringly, they found that cancer information found on a wiki was actually similar in accuracy and depth to the information on a peer-reviewed, patient-oriented cancer web site. There is one caveat, however: they found that the information ...

Study finds an increase of children accidentally poisoned with pharmaceuticals

2011-09-16

Cincinnati, OH, September 16, 2011 -- Pharmaceutical poisoning remains a common childhood injury, despite years of concerted prevention efforts, such as improved safe guards on packaging. Over half a million children are exposed to pharmaceuticals each year. A new study soon to be published in The Journal of Pediatrics attempts to understand this growing problem to aid in the progress of reducing the number of childhood injuries due to pharmaceutical poisoning. Dr. Randall Bond and colleagues from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati ...

Yuval Tal, Payoneer Founder to Speak at Take Charge Summit

2011-09-16

Yuval Tal, founder of the global electronic payment provider Payoneer, will speak at the Take Charge 2011 Digital Commerce Summit from September 13 to 14. The conference, which will take place in Airport City, Israel, will feature the most cutting-edge ecommerce creations and trends for vendors and affiliates. Attendees can expect to have a global experience, with potential for boosting online sales, taking advantage of new marketing, and improving conversion rates. Vendors and affiliates also will have the opportunity to network, sell and discover products, participate ...

Number of children poisoned by medication rising dramatically, study says

2011-09-16

The number of young children admitted to hospitals or seen in emergency departments because they unintentionally took a potentially toxic dose of medication has risen dramatically in recent years, according to a new Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center study. The rise in exposure to prescription products has been so striking that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has established the PROTECT Initiative, intended to prevent unintended medication overdoses in children. Randall Bond, MD, an emergency medicine physician at Cincinnati Children's, will ...

Investment Banker and Fine Arts Photographer Scott Mead Showcases His Works at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition

2011-09-16

With over 20 years of dedicated work within the investment banking sector, Scott Mead has begun to showcase his artistic talents in a number of exhibitions, with his most recent works being exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition. Scott Mead's two photographs on display at the Summer Exhibition are an untitled piece and a piece entitled Evening Light. Evening Light was created in 1975 during Scott Mead's college years at Harvard College, when he studied under recognized American photographers William Eggleston, Emmet Gowin and Minor White. The photograph, ...

Total Family Dental Group Announces the Appointment of Maria Gomez to Its Full-Service Dental Practice

2011-09-16

Total Family Dental Group is delighted to announce the appointment of a new staff member, Maria Gomez, to its Torrance dental office. Maria has joined the group as treatment coordinator after spending 23 years with Village Family Dental in Torrance. Maria has over 30 years' experience in the dental field and uses her considerable knowledge to guide patients through every step of the treatment process; coordinating treatment plans, insurance benefits and financial options. Maria was very happy with her previous employers, making friends among staff and patients alike ...

deVere Sponsors the Annual Geneva Charity Ball for Third Consecutive Year

2011-09-16

The Geneva Charity Ball is about "having a good time doing good". It takes place once a year with the prime aim of raising funds for a selected number of charities, while also leveraging the skills and passions of individuals in order to make things happen. Senior Managing Partner for deVere Group Switzerland and Italy, Mr Paul Dodds, commented, "We are proud to have the opportunity to support a passionate committee this year who are working for a memorable cause. We are looking forward to a fun evening and hope to raise even more funds than last year!" ...

Mobile Internet Nearing 50% Worldwide But International Roaming Costs Remain High...With One Exception: abroadband.com

2011-09-16

The rise of Internet use on mobile devices has made it hard to forget data roaming charges. abroadband.com has alleviated this problem by offering a unique mobile roaming solution. Users of their service can now access broadband on their mobile devices at only EUR0.59 per megabyte of data. A quick comparison of operators across the world illustrates the rarity of this type of flat rate service (source: BBC Website/Technology). abroadband was launched by Telekoms Austria earlier this year in February. The idea grew out of the unrest with high roaming charges that has ...

Yet Another Successful deVere Group WE Annual Advisers' Conference

2011-09-16

The event was spread out between the 1st and the 3rd of September and was aimed at providing Western Europe-based Financial Advisers with the latest financial planning knowledge, in order to help them continue providing the best possible financial advice to the deVere client. The now-prestigious event included motivational talks; workshops from deVere's main partners including Close, JP Morgan Asset Management, Morgan Stanley, Generali International, Skandia International, Friends Provident, Prudential International and Sovereign; and also team-building exercises. Mike ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Nipah virus: epidemiology, pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention

FDA ban on Red Dye 3 and more are highlighted in Sylvester Cancer's January tip sheet

Mapping gene regulation

Exposure to air pollution before pregnancy linked to higher child body mass index, study finds

Neural partially linear additive model

Dung data: manure can help to improve global maps of herbivore distribution

Concerns over maternity provision for pregnant women in UK prisons

UK needs a national strategy to tackle harms of alcohol, argue experts

Aerobic exercise: a powerful ally in the fight against Alzheimer’s

Cambridge leads first phase of governmental project to understand impact of smartphones and social media on young people

AASM Foundation partners with Howard University Medical Alumni Association to provide scholarships

Protective actions need regulatory support to fully defend homeowners and coastal communities, study finds

On-chip light control of semiconductor optoelectronic devices using integrated metasurfaces

America’s political house can become less divided

A common antihistamine shows promise in treating liver complications of a rare disease complication

Trastuzumab emtansine improves long-term survival in HER2 breast cancer

Is eating more red meat bad for your brain?

How does Tourette syndrome differ by sex?

Red meat consumption increases risk of dementia and cognitive decline

Study reveals how sex and racial disparities in weight loss surgery have changed over 20 years

Ultrasound-directed microbubbles could boost immune response against tumours, new Concordia research suggests

In small preliminary study, fearful pet dogs exhibited significantly different microbiomes and metabolic molecules to non-fearful dogs, suggesting the gut-brain axis might be involved in fear behavior

Examination of Large Language Model "red-teaming" defines it as a non-malicious team-effort activity to seek LLMs' limits and identifies 35 different techniques used to test them

Most microplastics in French bottled and tap water are smaller than 20 µm - fine enough to pass into blood and organs, but below the EU-recommended detection limit