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In our May issue, we profiled the OSU Knowlton School of Architecture and their entry to the Decathlon was one of my favorites, both inside and out. The home's living spaces are organized around a central core, hence the name of the project, the enCORE. The house is shielded by an attractive extruded polycarbonate rain screen that protects the home from the elements and increases the home's R-value, a measure of thermal resistance; the screens also hide the angled solar panels. The surrounding decking is made from TimberTech, a composite of vinyl and sawdust, which requires virtually zero maintenance after it's installed.

Photo courtesy of the DOE.