The name…
West Virginia University and University of Roma Tor Vergata are presenting STILE which stands for Sustainable Technologies Integrated as a Learning Experience. As the name suggests STILE combines key aspects of the Solar Decathlon: to make students accountable for the environment that they will inherit full responsibility for. It’s also used to teach them a better way of powering the world through sustainable energy.
Genesis of a simple but eloquent aesthetic
The concept of the project is inspired by the bicultural nature or the team STILE, in order to be in coherence with both of the cultures, Roman and Appalachian, is designed and projected to proficiently match some features from both architectural philosophies. The concept is based on the formal opposition between the two elements that form the house: the box and the arch. The living box is a clear volume composed of a large daylight open space, connected to the outside thanks to panoramic windows. The arch is a covering structure developed from the archetypal form of the arc, a basic element of classical Roman architecture. That not only is aesthetically appealing but also functions as the support for our solar panel array that will provide the energy requirements for the house. The arch produces a patio that acts as a shading barrier to the south side reducing the sun exposure. In conjunction with our passive cooling system, this will reduce energy usage and provide overall cost savings.
The model presented in the first delivery evolved in the later stages to become ethereal and far more elegant.
The ongoing design process lead to a more refined and easy to understand concept with further simplification, in particularly that of the outdoor spaces.
With every design process models are continually edited, according them refined choices with increasingly targeted goals, but the certainty of having a strong and original concept will always guide the design.