MEET THREE TEAMS
Name: Al Bayt Al Kamel (means ‘perfect house’ in Arabic) University: American University of Ras Al Khaimah
Team: 30 members
Approx cost of prototype: Dh2m
Al Bayt Al Kamel house is in keeping with Emirati tradition. The team started the design process two years ago, but only started full construction in June. Though the interior is similar to houses that exist today, the smart technology, solar panelling and energy efficient material turn it into a house of the future.
“The whole point of using solar energy means we are cancelling our use of fossil fuels and other means that produce carbon dioxide in air. The sun is always there, especially in a climate like
this, but resources on our planet are limited so we have to make sure that we have an alternative source of energy. This house utilises that alternative source,” team members Ahmed Abouebeid, Imran Galadamci, and Rui Mtawali told Khaleej Times.
Name: FutureHAUS University: Virginia Tech, USA
Team: 50+ members
Approx cost of prototype: $800K
Team Virgina Tech won the 2010 edition of the competition. Back again with a new factory produced, energypositive home, the long term goal is to design and build structures that integrate smart technologies, energy efficient systems, and new materials.
With an 18kW solar ray roof, the prototype took six months to construct, two weeks to assemble, but conception to design has been years in the making.
Showcasing this new house to the world, the FutureHAUS team intends to address two very important upcoming realities; a rise in world population (and subsequent need to provide affordable housing), and
the need to better integrate newer, smarter, and more energy efficient systems.
This particular home has an incredible water retention system, where all of the water used on-site will go through a filtration process to be reused.
Name: Restart4Smart University: Sapienza University of Rome
Team: 18 members Approx cost of prototype: Dh1.9million
The Sapienza University of Rome team came up with the idea for their smart home in June 2016. Until April 2018 it was only in the design phase, and final construction took six months to complete. Speaking to Khaleej Times, Professor Marco Casini, faculty advisor and team lead said “innovate within tradition” is the team’s motto.
“Much like in an Emirati home, we have a central patio/courtyard, a wind tower, many elements that respect tradition, but it is a house for the 21st century too, which is where the technology comes in.” Photos by Dhes Handumon
Using aerogel insulation (the same material used in space shuttles), it keeps the house cool during warm weather and warm during cold weather. The PV panels produce double the energy the house needs for the whole year and it has an automation system which runs off a central control, which can turn lights on and off and control electronics, among others.
“The construction industry is the most responsible for energy consumption on earth. In the US and Europe, 30 per cent of energy consumption is due to buildings because they are not energy efficient. This house produces zero water consumption because we collect rain water, condensed water, and treat and reuse the water used within the house,” Casini said.