UAF design team finalist in DOE’s Solar Decathlon
FAIRBANKS, UAF—Designing a home for a remote Alaska community must take a lot into consideration: The community itself must be included in the design phase and the home must be cost effective, environmentally suitable and energy efficient. Designing it as part of an international competition with multidisciplinary team members, none of whom are an engineers or architects, adds a whole other challenge.
A University of Alaska Fairbanks team made up of four students from the UAF Bristol Bay Campus sustainable energy occupational endorsement program, is Alaska’s first in the 20-year competition and is one of 10 finalists in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2022 New Housing Division of the Design Challenge. The team consists of Deilah Johnson, sustainable energy student Amanda Toerdal of Kawerak, UAF ethnobotany and psychology student Aihs Palmer and UAF biology and sustainable agriculture student Meg Waite.
They competed against 25 teams in their division.
The UAF team, mentored by UAF Bristol Bay Campus sustainable energy instructor Mark Masteller, is designing a home for the Village of Solomon. The Village of Solomon has been working hard since 2001 to develop and implement its local economic development plan. Deilah Johnson is an employee and energy and community champion for the community. She graduated from the sustainable energy endorsement program in 2019 and signed up again to enter this competition.
Initially, Johnson balked at the idea of registering for the class again but did so at the request and encouragement of Masteller. The Village of Solomon has been working on implementing an affordable housing program and, with the assistance of American Rescue Plan Act funding, was able to purchase land in Nome.
“The idea of building new [homes] really aligned well with this kind of a project,” said Johnson.
It was up to the team which category of competition to enter; they chose new housing with support from the tribe and community council. UAF’s team is designing a home that uses locally available materials, including shipping containers, rooftop solar panels, air-source heat pumps, backup heating and electricity. Village of Solomon community and tribal members provide design advice.
The team initially included five male students from UAF. They dropped out due to various obstacles, including those created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lacking any engineering students also created a challenge. The women remained and have created a cohesive team working on the common goal.
“Mark has been so encouraging. This team has really focused on communicating,” said Waite. “Coming from different disciplines, different work experiences, different life experiences, it has been some of the most challenging but also some of the most rewarding group work I have ever done.”
Johnson and Toerdal are also members of the Arctic Remote Energy Networks Academy 2022 cohort, a knowledge-sharing program for isolated communities. The program, a partnership between Canada, Gwich’in Council International, the United States and Iceland, is endorsed by the Sustainable Development Working Group of the Arctic Council.
The competition seeks solutions for real-world issues in the building industry. It also builds a community of professionals dedicated to using building design to solve problems related to climate change, affordability and environmental justice.
Teams have the option to compete in either a design or build challenge. Over 80 collegiate teams entered the competition in six divisions.
As in a true decathlon, teams are judged by performance in 10 areas. These include architecture, engineering, market analysis, durability and resilience, embodied environmental impact, integrated performance, occupant experience, comfort and environmental quality, energy performance and presentation.
The finalist teams were chosen based on presentations and design submissions at the semifinal competition event, held virtually Feb. 2526, 2022. During this event, teams pitched their unique building designs, impressing industry expert jurors with their creativity and ability to tackle the most difficult issues in the built environment.
Up to 10 teams per division were selected as finalists, with divisions including residential and commercial building types in the categories of new housing, retrofit housing, attached housing, multifamily building, office building and education building.
The UAF team had a lot of work to do and sought engineering and architect input before their final presentation in April 2022.
The team won third place in the New Housing division.