I went to see about 6 solar homes at the competition on Friday, when the weather was really really nice. The use of reclaimed something like reclaimed wood, barn, benches - anything that you can think of the second life of a material - is big. We come to an era where you'd see more and more the re-use of material for home constructions. Smart, sustainable kitchen countertops can be made of reuse, recycle materials like concrete, glass, newspaper, etc.
Here are some pictures from the competition.
2009 Solar Decathlon village
Team U of Missouri, kitchen cabinets made of Kirei board (reclaimed sorghum straws)
BIPV panels (building integrated photo voltaics) at Team Ontario North House
Interesting ceilings (not sure what to make of this.. imagine if you have to vacuum it one by one..)
Floating bed
Team Boston exterior
kitchen made of reclaimed wood at U of Puerto Rico
Utility monitor at Team California Refract House
Use of reclaimed barn at Team Ohio
Team Ohio utility room
utility room
Stone mosaic made of botany bay pebble
Liquid stone countertops (combination of Portland cement, crushed glass aggregate, silica, steel mesli, and etc.)
Universal design bathroom
Natural fusion (with plants) kitchen at Team Penn State
Natural Fusion bathroom
More pictures to come, so check back later..
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