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THE DELTA SMART HOUSE: CROSS-DISCIPLINARY PROJECTS WITHIN THE DESIGN FRAMEWORK OF SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
Description:
The Duke Engineering Living Technology Advancement (DELTA) Project began as a multidisciplinary endeavor to engage engineering students by having them design aspects/attributes of a new learning and living space. In the next few years, the vision will be realized when the DELTA Smart House is constructed (targeted completion date is the fall of 2006). This past semester (Spring 2005), cross-disciplinary engineering faculty representing all four of the engineering departments at the Pratt School of Engineering of Duke University piloted a new course to mentor and supervise applied projects with the end goal of having student teams function as design and fabrication squads conceptualizing and constructing prototypes of actual sustainable features which will be incorporated into the residential living quarters for undergraduate students. Working under the tutelage of the assembled faculty, Duke engineers will explore how to conceptualize, design and fabricate sustainable building systems including: rainfall harvesting through the capture, containment and reuse in irrigation systems; sustainable building design including materials of construction, use of passive lighting and green building concepts; grey-water reuse systems; alternative energy generation and re-capture, including recovery of energy from showers, dishwashers and other high temperature water use; self-regulating sensors to control air handlers and HVAC systems; energy efficient lighting and entertainment/video systems; composting waste disposal and sustainable landscaping. With increasing urban sprawl, developing sustainable and adaptable residences will potentially arrest or at least minimize the effects of overdevelopment. As part of these student teams, individual groups will formulate their own problem related to sustainability with the end goal being an integrated and constructable enhancement to the DELTA Smart House. Students will be evaluated by the faculty and their peers with continued feedback being offered throughout the course.