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Collection by Caroline Wallis

An Eco-Friendly Prototype whose Furniture Maximizes Energy Efficiency

For their debut at the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2015 Solar Decathlon, the University at Buffalo goes beyond the competition parameters with custom furniture.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s annual Solar Decathlon calls on collegiate teams to design and build cost-effective, energy-efficient homes blending consumer appeal and optimal energy production. University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, rose to the challenge with their GRoW Home—a 1,100 sf space focusing on self-sufficiency and versatility. Within UB's large Solar Decathlon team of more than 200, 17 students led by assistant professor of architecture Nicholas Rajkovich sought to really push the envelope (literally) with custom furniture. “We thought it would be really interesting if we built some unique furniture that had the potential to improve the overall performance of the house,” explains Rajkovich. From a solar clothes dryer to rolling tables for heat-trapping plants in the the Growlarium, an intermediary greenhouse space, the UB team did just that. Offset internal heat gains in tandem with the solar panel canopy give the GRoW Home a run for its electricity bill. As the competition wrapped on October 18, the UB team came in a very close second place.

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Clad in warm larch wood, the dwelling features a canopy that serves as a trellis for plants and provides shade for the house to reduce cooling loads. The six foot long solar clothes dryer, laid on its side, camouflages as a comfortable bench.
Clad in warm larch wood, the dwelling features a canopy that serves as a trellis for plants and provides shade for the house to reduce cooling loads. The six foot long solar clothes dryer, laid on its side, camouflages as a comfortable bench.
In the summer months, the Growlarium (the intermediary space seen here) acts as a thermal buffer between the outdoor heat and the actively conditioned interior space. During the winter, it serves as a greenhouse. Per the focus on self-sufficiency, the UB Team worked with a local grower to plant everything from okra to eggplant.
In the summer months, the Growlarium (the intermediary space seen here) acts as a thermal buffer between the outdoor heat and the actively conditioned interior space. During the winter, it serves as a greenhouse. Per the focus on self-sufficiency, the UB Team worked with a local grower to plant everything from okra to eggplant.
A prime example of simple sustainable design, this custom rolling Growlarium table is designed to trap heat with the water, soil and plants it holds. The table can be rolled outside at night in order to have the heat released to the ambient air.
A prime example of simple sustainable design, this custom rolling Growlarium table is designed to trap heat with the water, soil and plants it holds. The table can be rolled outside at night in order to have the heat released to the ambient air.
Imagined as a dual storage and pickling station for vegetables grown on-site, this console’s textured metal lid is supposed to flip open to reveal a pressure canner. The lid was fabricated by Rigidized Metals Corporation, one of UB’s biggest industrial partners and donors for the competition. Four shelves feature grooves—milled by a computer-controlled router— for organizing Mason jars.
Imagined as a dual storage and pickling station for vegetables grown on-site, this console’s textured metal lid is supposed to flip open to reveal a pressure canner. The lid was fabricated by Rigidized Metals Corporation, one of UB’s biggest industrial partners and donors for the competition. Four shelves feature grooves—milled by a computer-controlled router— for organizing Mason jars.
These kitchen tables feature a textured metal working surface also manufactured by Rigidized Metals Corporation.
These kitchen tables feature a textured metal working surface also manufactured by Rigidized Metals Corporation.
This 8ft tall shelf partitions the bedroom and dining area, and features a rotating TV screen allowing both rooms viewing access.
This 8ft tall shelf partitions the bedroom and dining area, and features a rotating TV screen allowing both rooms viewing access.
The GRoW Home seeks to better connect the resident with the natural environment. The building envelope employs structural insulated panels, two high-performance sliding glass doors, and a series of fixed superwindows to reduce heating loads.
The GRoW Home seeks to better connect the resident with the natural environment. The building envelope employs structural insulated panels, two high-performance sliding glass doors, and a series of fixed superwindows to reduce heating loads.
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