TEAM BeauSoleil

TEAM BeauSoleil Still Celebrating Win

2009-10-15T14:53:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON D.C. -- Two years ago, a team of architecture and engineering students from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette set out to build a sustainable, solar-powered home. They accomplished their goal – the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home.

The home has been at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. since early October to compete in the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon. It’s the only team from Louisiana to ever compete in a solar decathlon and its among 20 teams from across the globe competing in this year’s contest.

Tomorrow, teams will celebrate their accomplishments with an awards ceremony at 8 a.m.

TEAM BeauSoleil from UL Lafayette is celebrating its first place win in Market Viability awarded earlier this week. A jury evaluated the homes on the following criteria:

• Livability – How well the home fits the specific needs of a targeted homeowner and whether it is a safe, comfortable, and convenient place to live,

• Buildability – Whether the home can be built efficiently at a cost-competitive price and constructed the way the team intended it to be built, and

• Marketability – How well the house’s curb appeal, interior appeal, quality craftsmanship, as well as its sustainability features and integration of solar technology, offer potential homebuyers a good value.

TEAM BeauSoleil scored 97 out of 100 possible points.

“We paid a lot of attention to what our culture is all about – our climate, our kitchen,” said Gretchen Lacombe Vanicor, project manager. “We knew from the beginning we had to make this home for the people of Acadiana and Louisiana.”

The Department of Energy will host the official awards ceremony Friday morning. The Engineering Award along with the first, second and third place overall winners will be announced. In addition, a People’s Choice Award will be announced. To vote for TEAM BeauSoleil, text HOUSE76 to 99503. Voting polls close at midnight tonight.

For more information on TEAM BeauSoleil, visit www.beausoleilhome.org.

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Hot Water Flowing Again!

2009-10-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

Finally success with our hot water tests! At last we were able to get enough pressure and temperature with our new water heater and receive full points on one draw and half on another. Although we did not do as well as we expected on the communications contest we are still thrilled with winning the Market Viability contest! We had our Lighting Design and Engineering juries today and we expect to do well in these.

TEAM BEAUSOLEIL IS TOPS IN MARKET VIABILITY CONTEST

2009-10-12T10:38:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home was designed and built by Louisiana students for Louisiana residents. Judges for the Market Viability contest in the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon recognized that.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette team placed first in the contest. Judges were looking for homes that answered the needs of their clients.

TEAM BeauSoleil designed for Louisiana residents who face harsh summers and hurricanes.

“The (BeauSoleil) house hit on all cylinders,” said Joyce Mason, Market Viability judge and vice president for marketing with Pardee Homes. “We were so impressed with the degree to which the team listened to their market. They didn’t impose their ideas or try to infer them upon their residents.”

The team is one of 20 university teams from across the globe competing in the Solar Decathlon on the National Mall. TEAM BeauSoleil is the only team from Louisiana to ever participate in this contest held every two years.

“We knew from the beginning that if we couldn’t bring this home to the people of Louisiana, we wouldn’t accomplish anything,” said Gretchen Lacombe Vanicor, BeauSoleil project manager. “We paid a lot of attention to our Cajun culture and produced a product that is viable.”

The house is designed to withstand hurricane-force winds and to be totally self-sufficient, which makes it especially ideal for coastal environments.

It also reflects key elements of Louisiana's rich culture, including its world-famous Cajun
cooking. At the same time, it represents an architectural heritage that developed after Acadians, who were exiled from Nova Scotia by the British in the 1700s, settled in south Louisiana. The result is a simple, modest, but highly functional 800-square-foot structure.

The BeauSoleil Home design incorporates several aspects of early Cajun cottages. For example, it emphasizes wide exterior porches for social interaction and casual entertaining, as well as movable exterior doors in the '”dog-trot” that make access to the outside easy. The home also has a large kitchen that is the cultural center of the home. Good conversation and great food, important elements of Louisiana's culture, flow naturally from this functional space.

This structure accommodates Louisiana’s sometimes-challenging climate. Long, hot summers are the norm, so the BeauSoleil Home takes advantage of natural breezes and utilizes several dual-purpose shutters, while collecting its own water and generating more energy than it uses.

Interesting Facts about the BeauSoleil Solar Home

2009-10-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, more than 2,200 people visit the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home. They were all treated to a little joie de vivre -- Cajun style!

More visitors came by today and even more are expected tomorrow for Columbus Day.

Below are some interesting facts about our home and our homesite in D.C. Enjoy!

length of the home= 49'-9" feet

width of the home= 13'-10"

weight of the home= approx. 40,000 lbs.

height of the home= 17'-6"

square footage of the home including transitional porch= 790 sf

type of windows: Jeldwen Aluminum Clad Wood Windows with insulated, Low-E glass

type of wood siding (rainscreen)= new growth cypress sealed with water-based sealer

number of PV panels= 39 (23 -205 watt and 13 -195 watt bi-facial panels)

panels are Sanyo (17% efficient)

2 Zantrex inverters- one 5kW and one 4 kW

anticipated LEED rating of home = Platinum

lifetime of PV Modules= approx. 20 years

date BeauSoleil, the band, will play on the porch of the home in DC = Oct. 16th

amount the the site on the national mall slopes= almost 18"

slope of the roof= 6-5/8 : 12 (approx 29 degrees)

thickness of the walls when finished= 9"

thinkness of the roof when finished= 10"

the roof of the transitional porch is made of alumnum and corrugated polycarbonate

the solar water heater storage tank capacity= 40 gallons

the plumbing and mechanical contractor assisting TEAM BeauSoleil= Moulis Mechanical

the electrical contractor assisting TEAm BeauSoleil= EP Breaux Electrical

deck material=ipe

floors- white oak

caniets inkitchen- cypress

cabnets/shelves in bedroom- oak

interior doors- old growth, reclaimed cypress

sprayed foam insulation is Agribalance (soy-based foam)

low-flow plumbing fixtures are Kohler

Our Bedroom View

2009-10-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

What an incredible view! This is a one of a kind view we will never
have again. Just imagine what our lot on the National Mall would cost
if we had to buy it! $2 million? Probably $70 million!

We had our architecture, market viability and communication's juries
today. We feel very good about how they received the home. There
were multiple "wows!" from the market viabilty jury when they saw our
kitchen and bathroom! Sarah Susanka, on the architecture jury, said
she loved our herb wall and wanted to use the idea in one of her
projects! She was snapping pictures like crazy in our home.

All in all, we feel blessed. Especially yesterday after our Blessing
of the Home by Father Chester Arceneaux, from Our Lady of Wisdom.
After the blessing, an air of calm and peace prevailed. Thank you
Father Chester!

We were also honored with the presence of Dr. Joseph Savoie for the last two
days. President Savoie even helped pick up trash and arrange our
water plants. Our President is truly "hands-on" and more importantly,
he cares deeply about our students.

Finally, Dean Gordon Brooks, Vice-president Ken Ardoin and Charles Triche as well
as several over UL administrators , staff and alumni have all lent
their support and good will. Thank you Gordon for the ribbon for our
ribbon-cutting!

Geoff Gjertson

TEAM BeauSoleil: Day 1 of Competition

2009-10-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

TEAM BeauSoleil from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette opened the competition of the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon with a load of dishes and a load of laundry.

The team was one of nine that qualified to compete in the first day’s tests. Teams had to pass all inspections Wednesday night to qualify. TEAM BeauSoleil is among 20 teams this year including Cornell, the Ohio State, Virginia Tech and the 2007 winner Technische Universitat Darmstadt from Germany.

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu cut the ceremonial ribbon, marking the start of the 2009 event.

“Competitions like these bring out the best in students,” Chu said. “We hope they will take away what they’ve learned for their careers and their lives.”

TEAM BeauSoleil is the only Louisiana team to ever compete in the Solar Decathlon, which is held every two years. It’s made up of students all from UL Lafayette and has the same dedicated core since the project’s inception. The students completed 90 percent of the home’s construction, a unique aspect of the team.

“It’s been a busy day, but I think we did well,” said Dr. Geoff Gjertson, faculty leader for TEAM BeauSoleil. “Tomorrow the juries will be entering the homes for judging. This will continue throughout the competition.”

The team welcomed a wave of visitors to the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home after the opening ceremony including UL Lafayette President Dr. Joseph Savoie.

“It’s amazing to see the talent of these students. For two years now, they’ve been designing, building, fundraising and working hard. They deserve to be here on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.,” said Savoie.

The BeauSoleil home reflects key elements of Louisiana's rich culture, including its world-famous Cajun cooking. At the same time, it represents an architectural heritage that developed after Acadians, who were exiled from Nova Scotia by the British in the 1700s, settled in south Louisiana. The result is a simple, modest, but highly functional 800-square-foot structure.

It will be part of the Solar Village on the National Mall until Oct. 18. Public tours start Oct. 9 and continue through Oct. 13 and on Oct. 15 – 18. There are no tours on Oct. 14.

Follow TEAM BeauSoleil at www.beausoleilhome.org.

We Passed! We Passed! We Passed!

2009-10-08T02:40:00.000-07:00

WOW!!! What an amazing day for TEAM BeauSoleil! WE pulled it all together
and passed all of our inspections with only minutes to spare. This is a
brief timeline:

6:00 PM - We were still having trouble with our breakers. I even called
home and asked my family to start praying for us because the thought of not
being able to start the competition was heartbreaking.

6:30 PM - We all stayed calm and came up with the solution. A local
electrical supply store even stayed open late so one of our faculty
advisors could buy some more breakers.

7:00 PM - The breakers arrive and we change them.

7:15 PM - Mr. Conway comes back and the new breakers
work. Unfortunately the outlets were wrong so we still could not pass.

7:15 PM - 7:20 PM - WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO!?

7:20 PM - 7:30 PM - We run up and down the mall asking other teams if they
could loan some outlets to us.

7:30 PM - 7:45 PM -We changed all the outlets and PASSED our final
electrical inspection.

7:55 PM - Call for final inspection and PASS!!!!!!!!!!

Tonight, I witnessed the most incredible teamwork I have EVER seen. It was
absolutely inspiring. WE worked together, kept our cool, and solved the
problem. This is part of what makes our TEAM so special. We ALL truly
believe in what we are doing and are very proud to represent our
university, our culture and our state.

I would like to thank Mrs. T, Mrs. Billie, Father Chester and everyone back
home who were praying for us (I really think this helped us through) and
our incredible faculty members for helping us solve this problem. Also, we
owe a huge amount of gratitude to the other Solar Decathlon teams (TEAM
Missouri, The University of Arizona, The Ohio State University, University
of Kentucky, and Universidad de Puerto Rico) who were so kind to help us
out. We truly could not have done it without you!

So,it is here! We have finally made it. It is truly an amazing feeling to
be here with my TEAM. We were definitely blessed tonight.

Gretchen Vanicor

Tomorrow's the big day.. Opening Ceremonies

2009-10-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

Members of TEAM BeauSoleil put the finishing touches on the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home and are now ready for tomorrow's Opening Ceremonies.

In addition to be busy with painting touch-ups, the team was also busy with media interviews. Several crew members interviewed with TV stations, bloggers and newspaper reporters.

Gretchen Vanicor, project manager, also gave a tour of the home to DOE and BP officials. UL Lafayette President Dr. Joseph Savoie stopped by for a visit as did Ken Ardoin, vice president for Advancement Services. Fr. Chester Arceneaux and a group of other Louisiana folks also visited.

We are going to have a ribbon cutting tomorrow following the DOE's official ribbon cutting. Should be exciting! Two years of hardwork has come together for this competition.

TEAM BeauSoleil Preps for Media Tours

2009-10-07T03:29:00.000-07:00

Members of TEAM BeauSoleil were busy Tuesday putting the final preps on their solar home in anticipation of media tours Wednesday.

Crews were working on the roof and planting native Louisiana flowers and greenery.

DOE crews also placed the outside flooring in front of the home.

The team's hardwork over the last week will pay off as tours start. The competiton kicks off Thursday.

All Solar Decathlon houses will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundsys. All houses will be closed on Oct. 14 for competition purposes.

Watch Latest Video as BeauSoleil Solar Home Takes Shape In D.C.

2009-10-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

Watch the Latest Video of UL Lafayette's TEAM BeauSoleil assembling its entry for the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon on the National Mall. The BeauSoleil Home is an affordable, green housing option that is well-suited for the Gulf Coast. It is designed to withstand hurricane-force winds and can be elevated in flood-prone regions. Also, the BeauSoleil Home can be powered entirely by the sun.

TreeHugger.com Highlight: TEAM BeauSoleil Designs Home Post Katrina

2009-10-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

UL Lafayette's TEAM BeauSoleil has caught the eye of blogger Kristen Underwood with www.treehugger.com. Yesterday, Underwood picked up on two year's of hard work by an ambitious and persevering team of architecture and engineering students from UL Lafayette.

She wrote:

"The BeauSoleil home, includes several aspects of the Louisiana culture, including exterior porches for socializing, and a "dog-trot" in the center of the house which acts as a breezeway. In addition, the house has a large kitchen, which is also common among many southern homes.

Now, not only does this home generate more energy than it consumes, but it also is stronger than possibly any of the other homes in the contest - strong enough to sustain hurricane force winds. For a team from the Gulf, this attribute is something that is just as important as having a small carbon footprint. Life on the Gulf means living through hurricanes and it means needing housing that is able to withstand the conditions, otherwise communities are forever in the rebuilding process.

BeauSoleil is designed to meet the needs of the local climate and conditions. The team looked at the median income in Louisiana and used this as a benchmark for designing a home that is cutting-edge but also affordable. Designing self-sustainable, low-energy homes that are also good for emergency times is one way that this Louisiana team is representing their home state and in a way giving back. "

Click Here to View Team BeauSoleil Video on TreeHugger.com

BeauSoleil Video Makes Local Waves

2009-10-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

The Lafayette Daily Advertiser Features Video

The hometown newspaper of TEAM BeauSoleil – the Lafayette Daily Advertiser – featured a new video from the team.

Readers of the paper's website enjoyed the 60-second spot. It is available for current viewing in the paper's Video Section.

Previously in September, the Lafayette Daily Advertiser ran a story highlighting the teams acheivments and their send off to Washington, D.C.

"Students celebrated completion of the solar home on Sept. 17. The home was partially disassembled and transported last week to Washington D.C., where it will be re-built on the Washington Mall along with other competitors' projects."

Source: The Lafayette Daily Advertiser

View Video On TheAdvertiser.com

Key Elements of the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home

2009-10-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

The BeauSoleil Home reflects key elements of Louisiana's rich culture, including its world-famous Cajun cooking. At the same time, it represents an architectural heritage that developed after Acadians, who were exiled from Nova Scotia by the British in the 1700s, settled in south Louisiana. The result is a simple, modest, but highly functional 800-square-foot structure.

The BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home design incorporates several aspects of early Cajun cottages. For example, it emphasizes wide exterior porches for social interaction and casual entertaining, as well as movable exterior doors in the “dog-trot” that make access to the outdoors easy. The home also has a large kitchen that is the cultural center of the home. Good conversation and great food, important elements of Louisiana's culture, flow naturally from this functional space.

This structure accommodates Louisiana’s sometimes-challenging climate. Long, hot summers are the norm, so the BeauSoleil Home takes advantage of natural breezes and utilizes several dual-purpose shutters, while collecting its own water and generating more energy than it uses.

And when conditions get tough during hurricane season, as they did in 2005 when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated parts of south Louisiana, the BeauSoleil Home can withstand high winds. The structure can also be elevated to provide housing in areas vulnerable to flooding.

But is this design ready for the commercial market? The answer is a resounding “Yes!” The students and faculty members who make up TEAM BeauSoleil are dedicated to turning this real-world, sustainable living solution into an affordable, working model that can be sold to the public. They used the median income in Louisiana as a guide to design a home that should be affordable when mass-produced. When introduced to the marketplace, it will address the urgent need for self-sufficient residences, especially in the hurricane-prone regions of the Gulf Coast.

Friday was stellar for TEAM BeauSoleil

2009-10-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

Friday at the National Mall was a stellar day for TEAM BeauSoleil! It was sort of our humpday in the assembly. The roof was completed, the bumpouts installed, exterior siding replaced and the decks and PVs have begun installation! We are nearing readiness for the competition!

We have been bolstered by the incredible wave of support from our families, friends and communities. In particular, Colleen McDaniel has been amazing!

Colleen has traveled to DC with the TEAM and has offered constant logistical support. Everyday and night she has made deliveries to the Mall with coffee, sandwiches, pizza and snacks. What a life-saver! More importantly, she has been a shoulder to lean on! Thank you Colleen!!

In addition, Keno Thibodeaux, from Louisiana System Built Homes stood shoulder to shoulder with the TEAM on site for over 48 hours helping us immensely with his years of expertise. He guided us (and physically helped us!) in the process to move the home and the roof sections onto the site.

Professor Emeritus Edward Cazayoux arrived on site yesterday to help us with the assembly. Eddie has always led and instructed by example. Without his inspiring support and expertise we would not have been able to compete in the Decathlon.

Finally, Robert Bergeron with Moulis Mechanical and his wife Vickie journeyed to DC in their truck to help us get the mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems up and running! What an unbelievable relief to have his incredible expertise.

We Believe!

Geoff Gjertson

P.S. Theresa Guidry has been a Godsend. In addition to her plant expertise she has been our number one cheerleader. We love you Ms. T.

TEAM BeauSoleil Marries Culture, Environment

2009-10-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

Green Talk takes a look at the BeauSoleil Home

Bloggers at Green-Talk.com are talking about UL Lafayette's TEAM BeauSoleil and its entry into the 2009 Solar Decathlon.

Included:

"What makes the Ragin’ Cajuns’ home so unique is that the students took their first hand experiences of the ravages of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to help design their coastal home."

The blogger goes on to list some of the features of the BeauSoleil Home:

"Generates more energy than it consumes. Totally solar powered.

Withstands hurricane-force winds

State-of-the-art kitchen for entertaining and cooking. According to the University, “good conversation and great food are important elements of Louisiana.”

Attractive and affordable housing, ranging from $120,000 to $150,000

Self-sufficient housing that is especially ideal for coastal regions

Wide exterior porches for social interaction and entertaining

For updates on how this team does during the Decathlon, follow them on their Facebook page."

Moon over BeauSoleil

2009-10-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

TEAM BeauSoleil is continuing with assembly on the National Mall in D.C. The ONLY team from Louisiana is working around the clock to get the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home ready for this week's competition. The moon was shining brightly over the team and its solar home Friday.

BeauSoleil: Featured at the Bob the Builder LIVE! show sponsored by PASA

2009-06-05T09:31:00.001-07:00

Bob the Builder LIVE!

Heymann Performing Arts Center

Lafayette, LA June 8, 2009

4 & 7 pm

Come see Bob the Builder and his team embark on a brand new adventure!

"Spud's Big Mess" features all of your favorite characters in a fun-packed show set in the heart of Sunflower Valley. Join Bob, Wendy, Scoop, Lofty, Dizzy, Scrambler and the rest of the gang in fantastic songs and an exciting adventure as they have to deal with Spud's mischievous antics, as well as some monster surprises along the way!
Click here for more details at the PASA web site.

GREAT DEALS! Buy-one-get-one-free in some sections!
Use Password SPUD with Ticketmaster links below!
Click here for tickets for 4 PM June 8, 2009
Click here for tickets for 7 PM June 8, 2009
OR CALL TICKETMASTER 1-800-745-3000

Sponsored in Part by Chick-fil-A, Women's and Children's Hospital, Regions Bank, Teche Drugs and Gonsoulin and Gonsoulin Dentistry for Children

Click here for PASA on Facebook!
PASA thrives because of the support of people like you.
Click here to donate!

BeauSoleil: Brand New Rendering!

2009-06-01T06:13:00.001-07:00

BeauSoleil: Big Thanks to AIA New Orleans!

2009-05-20T06:45:00.000-07:00

The American Institute of Architect's Chapter in New Orleans just donated $1000 to BeauSoleil!

AIA New Orleans -

AIA New Orleans is proud to partner with Global Green and the U.S. Green Building Council-Louisiana Chapter to present a monthly panel discussion series on issues of sustainability as concerns the built environment. This month, we are excited to have a presentation of the BeauSoleil Home.

The BeauSoleil Home is currently under development at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home team mission is to design and build a Solar Decathlon house that uses renewable energy sources in a culturally resonant form that also serve as a building model for other locations throughout the world...

Click Here for More Information...

Friday, May 22 - 6th Annual Golf Tournament

Join AIA New Orleans for our 6th Annual Golf Tournament, being held on Friday May 22d, 2009, for a day of fun out on the green. This event has doubled in participation every year since its inception, and last year we had the biggest crowds to date. This year we are expecting to sell out the event with 100 players vying for the top prizes. There are also many opportunities available for sponsoring AIA New Orleans Golf Tournament 2009...

Click Here for More Information...

BeauSoleil: School's Out for Summer

2009-05-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

Well it has been an exciting week for the Beausoleil Team. We have just finished up a very tough semester and we are gearing up for the hot and very humid Louisiana summer. Summertime also means fulltime work on our project, which has been through some amazing changes. We have just made some major updates to our cd’s. By correcting and refining our layout our cd’s are looking pretty good. So far things are looking very good for finishing on time. Starting next week we will continue to tweak some minor issues and hopefully finish them up in a timely manner, since we will be at full strength as we welcome back the rest of our team.

This week the design and construction crew down at the BeauSoleil Worldwide Headquarters is raising the roof…literally! We’ve been making great progress on the various roof systems the house incorporates. The galvalume metal roofing is installed and the aluminum roof frame that houses the water heating system is also being made! The fancy, shifting-ridge roof we designed is kind-of a pain in the neck sometimes, but boy does it look good! We’ll continue with posts to keep you guys up-to-date on all the shenanigans going on at the BeauSoleil Worldwide Headquarters. Have a BeauSoleil Day!

BeauSoleil: Rub Board

2009-04-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

The Cajun instrument known as the frotoir is the result of a complex and rich evolutionary process. Basically the frotoir is a rub-board- a corrugated metal device used to wash clothing by hand. The highly recognizable sixteenth notes in Cajun and Zydeco music come from the rapid rubbing of a spoon on the frotoir- the “chanka-chanka.” Legend has it that Clifton Chenier, the pre-eminent Cajun accordion player asked and a certain Mr. Landry, an oil-field machinist, to adapt the traditional rectangular rub-board to a more ergonomic form better-suited to playing Cajun and Zydeco music. This meeting of industrial machine processes and culture led to a beautifully formed single piece of stainless steel with shoulder supports and a contoured playing surface.

In many ways, the BeauSoleil Home reflects this same tradition of a melding of culture and industry. The design of the home relies upon the most advanced technology for energy generation and climate control. But it also relies upon the adaptation of traditional building forms and materials as well as passive cooling strategies. Like the frotoir, the BeauSoleil Home is not extravagant or over-wrought. It is simple and modest. The BeauSoleil home is first and foremost functional. Just as Cajun culture has traditionally done, it makes the most of a little. Social interaction, in the form of entertaining and cooking, are the daily rituals which inspire its form. The home adapts to the unexpected, whether it be an unexpected guest and a subsequent crawfish boil or a hurricane.

Architecturally, the BeauSoleil home is not overly formalistic or rationally ordered. Its small size (800 square feet) require a certain degree of order and efficiency but the home does not forsake its roots. The home has a very generous kitchen and bathroom. These are two areas which modern architects tended to label as “service” spaces. In fact, many of the past Decathlon homes relegate these rooms to thickened “walls,” barely inhabitable spaces. The BeauSoleil Home does not divide its spaces into “served” and “service” spaces as Louis Kahn and other modern architects did. Mechanical spaces do not drive the use of the space. These pieces of equipment are placed in lofts and penthouses where they belong- out of the way of human habitation.

In a competition where the rules tend to dictate the form of all of the homes, the BeauSoleil Home again refuses to ignore Louisiana. A majority of the Decathlon homes do not have porches. The rules tend to discourage these spaces which are considered marginal by the organizers. The BeauSoleil Home refuses to exclude the porch. Our culture requires the porch for day to day life. In fact, the home has two porches- the dogtrot or transitional porch and the kitchen porch. Contrary to the insinuation of the rules, these are not marginal spaces- they are the stages of everyday life.

-W. Geoff Gjertson, AIA

TEAM BeauSoleil

Faculty Advisor

Bike for BeauSoleil

2009-04-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

BIKE FOR BEAUSOLEIL is a fundraiser and family event to raise money and community support for the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home. BIKE FOR BEAUSOLEIL is a part of the College of the Arts FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS. The concept of the races is for the public to go green, live healthy, maintain good fitness, bring their family and support TEAM BeauSoleil.

The event will take place at the BeauSoleil Warehouse located at the United Way Complex, 215 E. Pinhook, on Saturday, April 4th at 9am to 1pm, with pre-registration starting at 8am. Pre-race refreshments will be served. There is a 10-mile fun ride, and the options of 30 or 50-mile rides for experienced cyclists.

All races will end back at the BeauSoleil Warehouse. Racers, their families and the public are welcome to visit the Warehouse beginning at 11 am for a family-friendly, fun-filled time. A post-ride Cajun meal will be served at that time to the racers, Jr. Hebert and the Maurice Playboys will be playing and the warehouse will be open for people to view the progress of the BeauSoleil home (the shell has been completed.) There will also be a fun jump to entertain the younger crowd. Hope to see you all there!

Right now is a very busy time for TEAM BeauSoleil. We are working daily on the construction of our home and daily finding solutions to the challenges we face. The LEED class students are researching different materials and products that will help produce a sustainable and responsible home. The Russo Group and PR team are working diligently to spread our message, complete our Communications Plan, and raise funds. Many of the officers are working to complete our construction documents and project manual to resubmit to the DOE. 482 students are completing mock-ups of planters and storage solutions. Interior design students are selecting finishes and furniture. Engineering students are continuing research on the solar hot water heater and photovoltaic system. Business students are researching market viability of the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home. We are all really busy, but the students are all learning so much and gaining valuable experience.

Gretchen LaCombe Vanicor
TEAM BeauSoleil Project Manager

BeauSoleil: Full Steam Ahead

2009-03-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

Last week was great for the development of the BeauSoleil Home. AIA South Louisiana sponsored a skeet shooting tournament that was held this past Saturday. The event was a success and the proceeds went towards student travel for the trip to Washington D.C. in October. Thanks to all students from the BeauSoleil Team and the Business Department at ULL who volunteered as trappers and assistants. Thanks especially to AIA South Louisiana for sponsoring the event!

Back home at the BeauSoleil warehouse everything seems to be going according to schedule (we’re keeping our fingers crossed!). The roof only needs two more panels to be completed and the steel in the transitional porch is finished and placed in the shell. This was made possible by Southern Steel & Supply who donated the steel tubes and labor. Moving the welded frame from outside the warehouse into the shell was difficult, but thanks to the forklift provided by Southern Steel, we were able to get the job done.

Currently we are working alongside Southern Steel & Supply on the “expansion modules”. The fabricators are working very hard to finish the frames as soon as possible. On another front, we are working with Begneaud Manufacturing to finish the design of the transitional porch roof and the solar-fin, water heating system. Communication between the fabricators and the students has been very important and this project is a great opportunity for students to learn how to work with engineers, fabricators and other professionals of the construction industry in general. We are getting excellent exposure to what an architecture project entails in the real world and owe it all to our contributors and sponsors. The next phase of construction is coming-up soon and we’ll have more exciting updates for you! Stay tuned and we shall see what the future holds for the BeauSoleil Home!

Denisse Castro
TEAM BeauSoleil - Instrumentation

BeauSoleil: Raising the Roof

2009-03-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

Life is good here at TEAM BeauSoleil World Headquarters. Not only do we have a house, but also we have begun to put the roof on it. In order to facilitate transportation of the house to Washington D.C. the roof will come off in three sections that we will re-attach on the Mall once we arrive. The west section over the kitchen is in place and we are beginning to assemble the east section. These two sections are 8 ½” sips panels that were pre-cut and prepped at Louisiana System Built homes. We are assembling the roof one panel at a time here at the warehouse.

We are really beginning to get a sense of the spaces inside the house. For instance, the ceiling in the kitchen will be over 13’ at its highest point. This will make the space feel bigger as well as allow us to vent heat easier through the high ribbon windows on the north side. Venting heat is important in a South Louisiana kitchen and because we do love our cooking and our food it is only fitting that this area have the most dramatic ceilings.

In addition to construction we are beginning to take delivery of materials. The dream that started a year and a half ago is beginning to take shape with every passing day. There is constantly a flurry of activity here at the warehouse from building, to finalizing detail designs, to ordering materials and organizing with subcontractors. It is really a magical process to be a part of and we are so lucky to have this amazing experience.

Scott Chappuis

Project Architect

TEAM BeauSoleil

BeauSoleil Construction Commemoration

2009-03-03T08:15:00.000-08:00

BeauSoleil: Open House

2009-02-18T08:12:00.000-08:00

Things have been very busy and progressing well for the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home. Not only are we scheduled for three upcoming events:

March 21 AIA Sporting Clay Tournament

April 4 Bike for BeauSoleil (Bike Tour)

June 5 AGC Golf Tournament

So, not only are we building a sustainable home, but we are promoting healthy and sustainable living as well! Most importantly of the events, though is our upcoming March 4th "BUILDING BEAUSOLEIL." At this event, we will have a blessing of the shell (fabricated by Lousiana System Built Homes) and community leaders and supporters of the BeauSoleil project will post our building permit.

The Solar installation on Madison Hall's rooftop has also been completed and companies such as LUS and Global Data Systems as well as University President Dr. Savoie were walked through the 2nd grid tied system in Lafayette.

The house has been delivered to the BeauSoleil warehouse and the feeling is truly amazing. All team members have been working so hard, and its amazing to see the support and excitement building so rapidly for the project. This is a huge milestone for the us, and motivation to continue pushing on this path to success!

Catherine Guidry

TEAM BeauSoleil

BeauSoleil: Wall Panels

2009-02-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

TEAM Beusoleil has been very busy in the last week!

The momentum is building as the TEAM positions itself to WIN the 2009 Solar Decathlon. Huge strides were made in the last week on the construction front. With the programming of the CNC router completed, students headed to St. Martinville to begin the cutting of the actual walls of the house. The complex design of the BeauSoleil tested the equipment, but the knowledgeable staff at Louisiana System Built Homes are truly professionals and had little trouble making everything go smoothly (thanks Kirt).

The panel cutting was completed Monday with panel assembly beginning Tuesday, once again the collaboration of U.L.L. students and LASBH staff proved to be successful and assembly of panels was completed Wednesday afternoon. Erection of the walls on the completed base is set to begin Thursday morning. Erection of the walls on the completed base is set to begin first thing Thursday morning.

This process allows for the collaboration of students with a third crew – the framing crew – to complete the final stage of construction to be done at LASBH. Then the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home will begin its journey to Lafayette and finally to the BeauSoleil world headquarters for final assembly. The remaining panels for the roof will be cut the end of this week at LASBH with roof assembly happening in Lafayette next week.

TEAM BeauSoleil would like to thank all of the folks at LASBH for their patience and expertise. They are truly a team and a great example of how to work together.

Jeremy Credeur
TEAM BeauSoleil

BeauSoleil: Dream to Reality

2009-02-04T08:10:00.000-08:00

Our warehouse will soon be filling up fast with construction now taking place on the exterior deck structure and materials arriving daily as the SIP shell and completed floor deck are slated to arrive within two weeks. Our Cypress cladding is being selected from a local lumber yard this week and going to be milled to a profile designed by the TEAM that incorporates a regionally historical milling process. This profile of wood, according to a Cypress expert of 60 years has been lost for some time but we plan on changing that as it works perfectly with our passive cladding system. The Cypress should be in the warehouse within the next two weeks along with a breathable membrane system being applied to the SIP panels of the home. The operable windows should be making their debut here in the next 3 weeks. The exterior decking which will highlight the dogtrot and Nana wall door system has just been secured as of today and we look forward to its arrival since we are going to use the drop material from the milling process as an integral part of the interior cabinetry and countertops. The dogtrot roof assembly for the solar water heating system is well on its way to completion as the final details are being hashed out with a local sheet metal manufacturing expert.

It is amazing to see the project transform from lines on paper to an actual home with over a years worth of hard work and research. There is truly no greater way to learn and teach sustainability than to experience a project like this from a student standpoint. The new wave of student TEAM members pouring themselves into the project only cements this fact. It is not often that a project like this comes along in a student career that allows you to learn by doing and has the ability to impact public awareness. The buzz is picking up as the fruits of our labor are being constructed, so check back next week for the latest.

Christopher R. Leger
TEAM BeauSoleil

BeauSoleil: Construction Begins

2009-01-28T08:08:00.000-08:00

It is a very exciting time for TEAM BeauSoleil. We started the framing of our floor today and are already near completion. The shop drawings for our NanaWall door system are almost complete. Our cypress is also almost here for us to see. We have many new faces that are already hard at work on the all aspects of our project. The new fourth year studio students have done a thorough research on what we have already designed and already started working on new design tasks and research. Many new students in other classes have also started their great contribution to the project with building, LEED research, material research, and design. All of our TEAM BeauSoleil officers have returned and have hit the ground running on material purchasing, public relations, research, building and continue designing every last detail of our home.

Many of us have been part of TEAM BeauSoleil for over a year, and yet we still have a sincere passion for what we are doing. We still believe in our mission of designing a uniquely regional work of architecture with a balanced technological hybrid of both passive and active systems that can serve as a marketable prototype for housing in Louisiana. We are reaching our goal of educating TEAM members about sustainable design, construction methods, and professional practice. We are also still working hard to increase awareness regionally, nationally and worldwide about the need for resilient and sustainable emergency housing in the form of readily available, long-term housing options that are sustainable and affordable, environmental responsibility, and our amazing Louisiana culture.

Please, stay in touch with us and our progress. There are many great things to come!

Gretchen LaCombe Vanicor

TEAM BeauSoleil

BeauSoleil: DC Bound

2009-01-22T08:06:00.000-08:00

Being a part of the BeauSoleil project has been such an exciting and stimulating experience. As a graduate student, being able to base my thesis on such a unique project is quite an opportunity. But this project is not solely for the graduate officers. The BeauSoleil home is a representation of our university and our architecture program, and we are interested in having all dedicated and willing students take part in the process.

Over the break, team officers traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with the U.S. Department of Energy’s organizers for the 2009 Solar Decathlon. During each session, we became more knowledgeable and prepared to compete at the highest level in this very competitive event on the U.S. National Mall against 19 universities from around the world. It was exciting to attend the pre-event workshop, once again emphasizing the magnitude of this experience. We feel confident that we are on track for success.

We submitted our construction documents and project manual which includes narratives and specifications to the DOE on Dec 16. We are still continuing to raise money for the project, but our most exciting current news is the start of construction. There are approximately 40 students helping to build this semester, and we are looking forward to having the shell shipped to our warehouse in approximately one month! At that time we will have a commemoration event to celebrate the construction. I encourage you all to attend!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at catguidry@yahoo.com or visit http://www.beausoleilhome.org/

Catherine Guidry

TEAM BeauSoleil

New American Village Q & A

2009-01-07T08:02:00.000-08:00

Over the next few weeks, the BeauSoleil blog will post Q & A from a recent interview with The New American Village blog.

NAV blog - Conceptually, what’s different about the design of this prototype than, say, the way builders currently think of a typical tract home? And are there any similarities?

Jeremy Credeur, TEAM BeauSoleil -

We considered the design of this home on various fronts, such as making this a home for Louisiana, not a cheap knock of an Acadian style house bat a home that respects the history of our state and works in the area it was designed for, secondly we investigated the environmental aspects and impacts this house will have, third we factored in the market viability of the home in our community and in the surrounding communities. This consideration of community and place is the big difference in the design of this versus a typical tract house.

NAV blog - What makes your prototype specifically appropriate for where it is on the planet?

Catherine Guidry, TEAM BeauSoleil -

As technology and times have changed, it is now considered acceptable to see a home of any character and form exist almost anywhere in the world. A homeowner can tell their builder that they would like a California home in New York, and there would be no road-block stopping them from doing exactly this: except for thoughts on green design. Sustainable design is not only about durability and longevity of the building, but also, taking into account weather conditions, materiality, form, topography, and social and cultural aspects of the area.

The BeauSoleil Home has done exactly that. In designing this self-sufficient/solar powered home, we have taken into great consideration each aspect listed above and more. The roof form of the BeauSoleil home derived not only from the traditional gable roof form of the south, but as a direct response to the large amount of rainfall in Louisiana every year. The contemporary flat roofs of previous solar decathlon homes simply would not be successful here in Louisiana, which is ultimately the primary site of the BeauSoleil home. In addition, the standing seam metal roof, hurricane-resistant shutters, polycarbonate track doors and roof above the transitional porch, cypress clad rainscreen, and structurally insulated wall panels are all attempts to withstand and ventilate the hurricanes of the southern region.

The design of the BeauSoleil home is inspired by successful precedents of the region such as the dog trot and shot gun homes of New Orleans. As a result, the home could be sited in rural, suburban, and urban areas such as New Orleans. In addition, the culture of our region shines through in the form of the BeauSoleil home as well as the local materials used such as recycled heart pine flooring and cypress cladding. Our rotating track doors, bifold garage door, and mosquito screens allow for flexibility in the Transitional porch for dining and entertaining, as well as the opportunity to spend time outside which is so important to people who live here.

We feel that the BeauSoleil home belongs in the southern region, so we have made those strides and efforts to design that way.

BeauSoleil: The Bottom Line

2008-12-18T07:58:00.000-08:00

Over the next few weeks, the BeauSoleil blog will post Q & A from a recent interview with the New American Village blog.

NAV blog - Do you have any idea what a production model of the BeauSoleil home would cost? Does this prototype address “green on a budget”?

Geoff Gjertsen, TEAM BeauSoleil -

Certainly this has been one of our biggest goals and challenges for the project- to design an affordable, green home. The perceived and actual up-front costs of sustainable design have been a hindrance to full adoption by the public.

Fortunately, in our economic climate and with the cost of oil projected to sky-rocket again soon, the market for alternative energy will continue to increase, thus reducing costs. In particular, the costs of photovoltaics are predicted to decline dramatically in 2009. However, many of the systems and strategies in the BeauSoleil Home do not have a significant up-front cost.

It all starts with siting: orienting the home on an east-west axis, shading the home in the summer with deciduous trees, and installing operable windows to capture prevailing winds. Then the initial investment in PV's, rainwater harvesting, high-efficiency HVAC units, low-flow plumbing fixtures, energy-star appliances, low-E windows and high R-value SIPS construction will pay for itself in about seven years.

Prefabrication and mass-customization allow for the cost of the home to also be significantly reduced. So although the initial 800 square foot prototype is projected to cost $220,000, the production model with some modifications for permanent sites and without all the bells and whistles required for the competition, will cost approximately $100,000. (This cost is predicated on at least 100 units being produced by our modular home manufacturer, Louisiana System Built Homes.)

This price tag puts the home within reach of the median income family earning $40,000 per year in Louisiana. And although the cost per square foot may be higher than typical inefficient construction, the high energy-efficiency of the home will pay for itself in the short term, as stated earlier. And, and this is a big AND, the home owner gains a level of self-sufficiency unheard of in a conventional home, which is really one of the most important aspects of sustainable design.

The time is NOW for the BeauSoleil Home along the Gulf Coast.

Dan Rockhill with TEAM BeauSoleil

2008-12-11T07:56:00.000-08:00

BeauSoleil Home: A Day in the Life...

2008-12-03T07:53:00.000-08:00

A day in the life of the BeauSoleil Home would go something like this: One awakens in a bed which is arranged according to feng shui, facing the door to the east. Light can be modulated to enter the space with rolling blinds or exterior louvered shutters. After getting-up, your bed can be folded into the wall immediately enlarging and transforming the bedroom to a studio. Cabinetry and a desk allow for easy and efficient storage of clothing and office supplies.

The bathroom provides a buffer between the public living area and private bedroom area and allows one to access the bathroom without venturing into the living area. When entering the bathroom one is struck by the luminosity of the polycarbonate walls bathing the space in light. The warm and bright colors and tile convey a feeling of spaciousness and cleanliness. The plumbing fixtures and accessories are designed to accommodate the disabled and everyone else as they age through universal design strategies. The open shower is spacious and bright and has high windows for ventilation.

Both the natural light and ventilation limit the growth of mold which is a major problem in Louisiana. An efficient yet generous medicine cabinet places one's toiletries and make-up close at hand and a lavatory counter tray increases this valuable real estate. After bathing, one walks through the living room and outside through the Transitional Porch (unless the weather requires this space to open to the interior.) By moving through the Transitional Porch one is immediately put in close contact and appreciation of nature and simply the climate of the day. The Transitional porch allows the kitchen to be separated from the main body of the house thus prohibiting the heat of cooking to migrate.

Additionally, the kitchen can be shut down at night or at other times it is not needed, conserving energy. The kitchen is very large for an 800 square foot house and this is no accident. Cajuns take great pride in their cooking and entertaining in their kitchens. Our kitchen embraces this culture of entertaining and cooking. The vertical volume of the kitchen is also the largest which again glorifies and celebrates the important space. A second set of high north clerestory windows allows for passive ventilation. Convenient placement of appliances and cabinets in the kitchen make this space highly functional. A vertical herb garden on the Kitchen porch allows one to get spices and herbs immediately during cooking. After making breakfast, one can sit at the kitchen counter or dine AL Fresco on the Transitional Porch. If you have a guest staying with you, they can sleep in the Transitional porch which can be separated with the sliding glass doors.
When you go to work, your house is working for you generating electricity and selling it back to the grid. When you get home at night the BeauSoleil home is waiting to greet you with programmed lighting levels. As the sun sets, BeauSoleil prepares for the next day.

Geoff Gjertson, AIA
TEAM BeauSoleil Faculty Coordinator

PV Panel Update

2008-11-26T07:49:00.000-08:00

Last time I wrote we had just finished an 8’ by 13’ mockup of the roof. Last week we built a rack out of unistrut and installed the PV panels on the mockup. It went so smoothly it’s as if unistrut was made to be a PV rack system. We hope to begin testing the PV’s early next week at the latest. It always feels good to step away from the computer and build something. I can’t wait to see the system up and running.

We are testing two types of inverters: macro and micro. We are most excited about the micro inverters because they are new technology. Each PV has its own micro inverter that converts the DC power to AC right there at the panel. This is supposed to be more efficient and safer due to the elimination of long high voltage DC runs. Using the micro inverters would also free up some space in our 800 square foot house.

Our hot water mockup literally had a few kinks to iron out but we got it to work and we are confident the actual system will work as well. A mechanical engineering student will be helping us with the final design, as he is better with thermodynamics and fluid dynamics than the rest of us.M and E Consulting, a local engineering firm, will be donating our dehumidifier, which we are thrilled about. Because the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home is essentially a large ice chest we will need a dehumidifier to introduce outside air as well as remove humidity from the respiration of the occupants, washing dishes, etc. We are using a 2 ton mini-split ductless HVAC system for conditioning the air though we think it will not need to run very much due to the high R-values of our SIPS walls and roof and the fact that the system is oversized.

Plumbing and electrical are coming along and I am learning a lot. The next step is to identify a local company who can fabricate our underfloor storage tanks.As the due date for our construction documents approaches we are all focusing on getting them done in time. They are just under 50% complete and we hope to be at 65% by the end of the week. In fact, I better get back to it. On behalf of TEAM BeauSoleil have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Scott Chappuis

TEAM BeauSoleil

BeauSoleil: Making the Cut

2008-11-19T07:46:00.000-08:00

The time is growing near to begin fabrication of the shell of the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home. The team is currently finalizing details in preparation of beginning programming of the CNC machine at LASBH (Louisiana System Built Homes). The cutting of panels is set to begin around the first of December. This is a serious matter because once the panels are cut there is no going back. The pressure is on but Team BeauSoleil is up to the challenge!!!
The process of SIPS construction begins with laying out the walls and the roof of the house in elevation looking from the inside. These elevations are cut into sections in a way that they will be most efficient. Expansion is taken into account the pieces are numbered and laid out in the proper orientation as per the loading of the panels onto 8’ x 24’ pieces. These sections are laid out on the 8’ x 24’ panels like a puzzle to minimize waste. These panels are plotted using CAD software. Once they are plotted they are ready to be converted into a format that can be recognized by the CNC machine. This software allows us to program the depth of the cuts as well as the order of the cuts. When this is complete the program is entered into the machine and the cutting can begin.

The cutting of the panels should only take a few days; meanwhile the floor structure and subfloor will be being assembled. Upon completion of this step the walls will begin being erected onto the base of the house this assembly should only take a couple of weeks and the shell should be at the BeauSoleil World Headquarters around the first of the year. Finally!!
The hard work of the Team is paying off and the fruits of our labor will soon be visible. Stay tuned for more details.

Jeremy Credeur
Construction Manager
Team BeauSoleil

BeauSoleil: The Transitional Porch

2008-11-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

To continue our conversation on the design/architecture of the Beausoleil Louisiana Solar Home, I would like to place attention on the space we have dubbed the "transitional porch". To place primary emphasis on the ability of Beausoleil to connect its' inhabitants with the outdoors, a major design strategy was to centralize and give dominance to a space that would could handle the aspects of south Louisiana lifestyle that make it unique, while providing for enhanced energy savings.
Whether it be daytime functions such as crawfish boils or washing off gear at the end of a hunting trip, the transitional porch needed to accommodate all sorts of outdoor activity.
With such a small building footprint prescribed by organizers of the solar decathlon, carving out such a large portion of our floor plan for outdoor activity, signaled that we would have to somehow cope with its implications on adjacent interior spaces.
Our solution is that a space could be both interior and exterior, by manipulation from its inhabitants. This not only allows for the structure to interact with its natural surroundings but it encourages active familiarity with the systems in one's home. Since the porch splits the home into 2 distinct zones when opened, nearly 1/2 of the HVAC can be turned completely off in the unoccupied zone. The other option would be that the home operates as a closed, studio-like space, with HVAC being utilized for all of the structure.
We accomplished all of this by allowing the doors to act as walls, and to allow those doors to be maneuvered around the square porch as distinct planes.
The transitional porch also allows for the enhanced passive ventilation of both zones adjacent to it. Opening the doors allows for the introduction of the southwest wind so that inhabitants can cut back usage on breezy days.
In so many ways, the transitional porch has become our expression where all things sustainable and culturally sensible converge.

---Tim Dumatrait, TEAM BeauSoleil

TEAM BeauSoleil Assembles Roof and Solar Panel Mockups

2008-10-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

TEAM BeauSoleil has really made progress on our systems designs over the last few days. We completed a mockup of our solar hot water/skylight/shading device design on Monday. Now all we need to do is put it out in the sun and test it.
I probably should go into a little more detail about this hot water/skylight/shading device. The main area of our house will be a transitional porch that can either be exterior or interior space depending on different door configurations. When this porch is being used as an exterior space it will act as a breezeway and help ventilate the interior of the home. Because this is our most celebrated space it has a special translucent roof. Essentially, the entire roof section over the porch will be a skylight during the day and act as a lantern at night when the interior of the home is illuminated. On the south side this skylight will house a closed loop solar hot water heater that we have designed and will build. In order to present more surface area to the sun the collector tubes will have fins attached to them. These fins will double as shading devices in order to prevent heat gain into the house itself. Our design works on paper; the mockup will allow us to test it in the real world.
On Monday, we also finished an 8’ by 13’ mockup of the roof and installed it atop the engineering building. The next step is to attach photovoltaic panels to the metal standing seam and test their performance at different angles and with different inverters. It will also allow us to explore the best method of attaching the PV panels to the metal roof.
In other systems news our HVAC design is almost complete. Plumbing is coming along as well. For the purposes of the Solar Decathlon we have to store all of our own drinking water and wastewater for the length of the competition, which is nearly a month from start to finish. As a result of space restrictions, we will be accomplishing this with tanks that fit under the house and between the floor joists. In some cases these tanks will also be structural. This is a bit of a daunting task so we are still fine-tuning the tank design. We are still tweaking lighting and electrical though we are close to having those nailed down as well.
It has been very encouraging to have built two successful mockups because we can see the fruits of our labor. In addition to mockup testing, the next few weeks will be spent cranking out construction documents, which must be finished in 6 weeks. It is a very busy time for TEAM BeauSoleil right now, but it is a very exciting time as well.

---Scott Chappuis, TEAM BeauSoleil

SIPS Construction on the BeauSoleil Home

2008-10-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

Solar Decathlon Update: Every two years 20 university teams are chosen, based on proposals, to design an all-solar home and assemble it on the National Mall in Washington DC for public viewing and judging. Check back each Wednesday as the NAV Blog reports on the process of the design and construction of BeauSoleil, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's entry.
SIPS is an acronym for structural insulated panel system. This system of construction consists of a 5 ½” inch layer of expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) sandwiched between two sheets of 7/16” oriented strand board (OSB). This system is extremely efficient in that it is produced in a factory setting therefore, reducing the material waste generally associated with typical site built construction.

Another advantage of this system is the increased precision of the construction process to tolerances as close as 1/16”. This increased precision allows for a much tighter system in that air infiltration is practically eliminated. This along with the reduction of thermal breaks due to the lack of studs in the system (studs are replaced by the EPS foam) increase the R-value of the panels to R-32 for ceilings and R-26 in a wall application, compared to R-30 and R-13 respectively for typical stick frame construction. The improved insultative properties of the panels will result in a significant savings in the cost of heating and cooling, there by exceeding the approximately 10% increase of initial cost in the initial construction cost.
The BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home will feature SIPS as its primary structural component. The modularity of SIPS allows for the ease of mass production and the tolerances allow for the ease of onsite assembly. This along with a structural steel frame in the transitional porch will allow this home to easily make the trip to Washington D.C. and back while remaining structurally sound.
Team BeauSoleil is currently completing the design of the shell of the house in preparation to begin the fabrication of the shell. Team members are working with Louisiana System Built Homes (LASBH) in St. Martinville on the details of this task. Through this partnership graduate students will be fabricating the panels, planning the cuts, programming the machines and assisting with the actual assembly of the shell at the LASBH factory.

This is a great opportunity for students to gain hands on knowledge in this system. The actual cutting of SIPS panels by students will begin in the next couple of weeks with the completion of the shell expected in early January. At that point the shell of the home will be trucked to Lafayette and will reside in the Team BeauSoleil warehouse until the completion of construction. Then it’s on the road again to Washington D.C. for the competition that will begin on October 1, 2009.

Construction Begins on BeauSoleil Home

2008-10-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

The BeauSoleil TEAM moved into their new digs - a United Way warehouse near campus - a couple of months ago, and the buzz is on. The TEAM is gathering materials and mapping out the construction process in anticipation of assembling their design over the next few months.Louisiana System Built Homes, a BeauSoleil manufacturing partner, will begin fabricating the shell and roof structure for the Solar Home in the upcoming weeks. Students are currently working with LASBH to format the construction drawings, making them ready for CNC routing of the SIPS panels - the primary building material of the BeauSoleil home.Stay tuned for more construction photos.

Design: A Response to Local Environment

2008-10-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette TEAM Beausoleil would like to engage in conversation with the public about the issues we are investigating, as they relate to the delivery of our aptly named "Louisiana Solar Home", to the U.S. Department of Energy for the 2009 Solar Decathlon.It is our hope that we can, through interaction and conversation, share with the general public the strategies and "know-how" necessary to create a stable energy future for the homes of south Louisiana. We also want to keep everyone up to date with the progress of Beausoleil, so that we might get feedback and gain insight as to improve our end product.

Conversation will be broken up into 4 categories; Design, Events, Construction, Engineering. Today's topic will be design, and will focus on the issue of regional relevance and sustainability.

The Beausoleil Louisiana Solar Home is just as its name implies, a solar home for Louisiana, but what about Louisiana identifies with ideas of sustainability?If we look closely at the built history of our region, one can find evidence in our older homes of passive strategies used for temperature control. The people of our region once had an understanding of, and a literal connection with, nature in their everyday lives.Simple design decisions, such as window placement /size, orientation of home/porch to the south, and choice materials all made a big difference in the efficiency of a home. We see this connection as valuable, and fading with every passing day, while we sit too long in front of power hungry air conditioners. It occurred to us at a very early stage in the design process, that sustainability does not mean matching our massive consumption with high dollar active systems. This method tends to fail, as most people could not afford the necessary solar array size to meet their current usage. Instead, it might require we take notes from our ancestors, and find creative ways to make our homes more efficient first. In this way, Beausoleil can surely draw from the rich building traditions in south Louisiana.

Tim Dumatrait, Beausoleil TEAM member

timmiedumatrait@gmail.com

2009 Solar Decathlon

2008-09-30T07:14:00.000-07:00

We are honored to have been selected by the New American Village as the Solar Decathlon 2009 team to be profiled in the weekly blog! As one of only two teams in the south (Rice being the other one) we feel as if we represent not only Louisiana but the Gulf states as a whole. It is our mission to design, build and demonstrate a new paradigm for living on the Gulf coast. The BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home will be a regional work of architecture (representing the culture and traditions of our region,) an energy hybrid (employing passive and active systems) and a marketable prototype (accessible to a median income family.)
I invite you to visit the solardecathlon.org website to learn more about the competition and view past Decathlon homes. But the project is so much more than the competition. First and foremost, our student TEAM is learning to design and build in a sustainable way. They are becoming experts in this field. Additionally, they are learning and experiencing what integrated practice truly is. All of this means that they will be more than prepared for 21st century architectural practice and will be well-situated to be leaders in sustainable design and community design.
TEAM BeauSoleil is composed of over 70 architecture, industrial design, interior design, engineering, business, computer science and music students at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The Solar Decathlon is a student-driven initiative. So faculty like me are here just as advisors. In future blogs, you will hear primarily from our exceptional student TEAM.
TEAM BeauSoleil also sees its mission to aggressively pursue public outreach. We are constantly presenting to various university, community, primary school and civic groups. We see it as our responsibility to educate the public on relevant issues such as sustainable design, alternative energy (specifically solar energy,) and hurricane reconstruction. As our project develops, please visit our website: beausoleilhome.org to find useful information and links.
This project is a “hands-on” project where the students “learn in the doing” as Frank Lloyd Wright once said. In University terms: it is an excellent model for service-learning and experiential learning. As such, we intend to post on this blog the revelations, successes AND failures we encounter during the construction of the BeauSoleil Home. After all, don’t we learn more from our failures?

W. Geoff Gjertson, AIA
TEAM BeauSoleil Faculty Advisor