landscape
The landscape for the 2007 Solar Decathlon competition combines aesthetics and sustainable design elements to create several working zones on the site. These zones are heavily designed around the connectivity between the interior function of the house and the exterior use.
There are several key components of the landscape. The first is a constructed wetland that will function as a device for filtering greywater leaving the house. Greywater is any water generated from domestic processes in the house such as washing dishes, doing laundry, and bathing. The shower, lavatory sink, dishwashing machine, and washing machine are connected to the constructed wetland. The water used in these components will be diverted to the constructed wetland where it will be filtered. As the wastewater flows through the constructed wetland, the water is filtered by a series of natural processes including, but not limited to, microbial respiration, decomposition, and transpiration. These processes will filter the water enough to allow the team to use it for irrigation during the competition if needed.
The second component is the rainwater catchment system. The roof of the house is constructed to catch water during rain and sloped to allow the water to run off. The water is then diverted to two gutter systems on either side of the house’s thermal core or sunroom. The water flows down into a round stone filter and then passes through to water storage tanks beneath the deck. This water will be used during the competition to water plants on the site; after the competition, the rainwater system may be plumbed back into the house for use as a nonpotable water source, such as in the toilet or washing machine.
Plants are the third component of the landscape. We are introducing several different systems using plants as a medium. The first system is our vegetated passive solar panel system. These are Greenscreens®, which are positioned around the house’s exterior to act as shading devices in the summer to cool the home’s interior; during the winter the vines will die back allowing the winter sun to penetrate the core of the house. We are also incorporating a screen garden into our landscape. The screen (or flat stone) functions much like traditional mulch does in a garden by holding moisture in the soil, necessitating less watering for the plants. It also allows for passive solar gain because of the dark color and properties of the stone; in turn, the warmth emanating from the stone lengthens the growing season. The plants were selected based on water demand, fall bloom, and in most cases, edibility. Our ornamental plants are a combination of perennial and annual species specific to the Northeast. Students and our partner Greg Heist at cultivated the vegetable plants locally. Varieties were carefully chosen based on their hardiness and transportability. At the end of the competition, the plants will be donated to a local school to start a garden. Our team will be providing a design and consultation for the installation of the garden in the D.C. area.
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Products:
- Greenscreens® and clips – Total Retail Cost $6,060 (dontated)
- Plants from - Total Retail Cost $xxx (donated)
