The Solar Decathlon is a biannual competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy that challenges interdisciplinary collegiate teams to design a net-zero-energy single-family house. In doing so, the Department of Energy hopes to advance innovation in the area of single-family-home design and to help bring these innovations to the mass market. Led by the USC School of Architecture, USC received an invitation to participate in the 2013 competition. This marks an unprecedented opportunity to bring together a truly multifaceted team of students, faculty and supporters from across the university with the common pursuit of creating a sustainable, efficient, but also spatially and aesthetically powerful physical environment. The School of Architecture; Viterbi School of Engineering; Rossier School of Education; School of Cinematic Arts; Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism; Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences; and other programs at USC will join forces to design, engineer and build a net-zero-energy house. Following the competition period in 2013, the house will be relocated and donated to a family in the USC neighborhood. Its energy performance will be monitored for at least one year following move-in.

This event will bring together an interdisciplinary panel of experts on sustainability and design for a provocative conversation on the benefits and drawbacks of the Solar Decathlon competition, its implications for long-term application and the future of green living. They will also present USC’s entry into the 2013 competition and will debate plans for its permanent donation and relocation.

A reception will follow in the Watt Hall Courtyard. During the reception, a full-scale mockup of the USC Net-Zero House will be available for viewing on the South Lawn, adjacent to Watt Hall. Attendees will have an opportunity to submit written opinions and thoughts about the house at that time.

Organized by the USC School of Architecture.

For further information on this event:
visionsandvoices@usc.edu