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By Heather Riley Chadwick

BLACKSBURG, Va., May 26, 2009 -- The Virginia Tech team of students and faculty creating an innovative house powered by the sun for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon will exhibit their progress on the project at the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Va., June 12–Aug. 23.

The exhibition, Eclipsis/LumenHaus, will focus on solar and industrialized power.

In the museum’s MediaLab, the team will showcase their house’s unique louvering system, Eclipsis, which is designed to react to nuances of the changing light, making the house more responsive to the environment and the individual.

Lead faculty on the solar house project are Joseph Wheeler, associate professor of architecture, School of Architecture + Design; Robert Dunay, the T. A. Carter Professor of Architecture, School of Architecture + Design; and Robert Schubert, associate dean of research, College of Architecture and Urban Studies.

The Virginia Tech house is currently under construction in Blacksburg. Students from the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, the College of Engineering, the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, and the Pamplin College of Business compose the student team.

Designed according to the concept of “Responsive Architecture,” the house will respond to climactic changes and user requirements utilizing the simplicity of an i-Phone interface. Follow the progress of the Virginia Tech Solar Decathlon on Facebook and the team’s website.

Twenty-one college and university teams from around the world will compete in Solar Decathlon Europe. In the 2005 competition, the Virginia Tech team won first place in four categories: Best Liveability, Best Architecture, Best Day Lighting, and Best Electric Lighting, the American Institute of Architects President's Award for Best House, and fourth overall.

Contact Heather Riley Chadwick at hrchadwi@vt.edu or (540) 231-2108.

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