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.

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