Introduction

Team

House

Story

Sponsors

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7 february 2007

The Spring semester just recently started, and along with it came another group of committed students willing to absorb everything about the LEAFHouse and get to work. By now, our team is a combination of alumni from previous semesters and new team members. Signed up for the ENCE489B and ENCE489F classes are students from Engineering, Architecture, Computer Science, Behavior and Social Science, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chemical and Life Sciences, Arts and Humanities, and Letters and Sciences. Signed up for the ARCH601 LEAFHouse studio are graduate architecture students both continuing and new to the project. To quote Professor Kaye Brubaker, we are “8 colleges, 1 team!”

The students are still getting caught up with background information. We have to convey the competition background, the Maryland team history, and the LEAFHouse design up to this point. Team leaders from Engineering and Architecture gave presentations on our systems the first few classes. Now, students have a good idea of what needs work and what they want to work on. The following is a list of items that require student attention currently:

Fully custom designed door and window details: Details are in the final stages of coordination so that we can place the order in the very near future. This is a great opportunity for any undergraduate to learn more about extremely important construction details in vital parts of any building.
House systems: It ranges from lighting to a liquid dessicant system that is vital to the dehumidification of LEAFHouse. Aspects such as lighting, is a feature in the early process of designing. There is much more to be done.
Site development: A "greener" and richer site development for our house. The intention of LEAFHouse is for it to act as a mediator between the sky and the earth in its handling of water. The water management system that is set up will separate rain water and grey water into separate irrigation systems on our site.
Exterior green-wall: It plays a vital role of our site development. There has been some work done previously, but, we will be looking at new systems in making this important design feature work.
Roof to wall connections details: It is a very difficult task moving close to completion.
Cabinet and interior casework: It is nearing design and orders completion.

We better get working!

Team leader Brittany Williams starts to explain the house with the help of a physical model.

Team leaders Brittany Williams and Kim Singleton give a lecture to let new students catch up on architecture oriented details of the house.

Mentor Kaye Brubaker creates a list of tasks the new students can take on for the semester.

Team leader Dan Feng discusses the upcoming StampFest with one of the new students.

Team leader Dan Feng talked to the class about LEAFHouse, its goals, and its features.

Team leader Darrell Smith coordinates with his two new student members.

The team dispersed after the lecture to talk in smaller groups.

Team leader Tyler Sines meets with two new students interested in working with the HVAC team.

Team leader Jake Zager answers a question from a new student.

Team leader John Kucia discusses lighting ideas with a new student member interested in lighting.

Team leader John Kucia starts off a lecture on the lighting and electrical aspects of the house.

Team leaders Brittany Williams and Kim Singleton brief new students interested in helping with CAD drawings.

Student member Mike Talbott shows off the house in Google Sketchup.

Students sit through an introductory lecture on the first day of classes after winter break.

The lecture and presentation also covered the 2005 solar house.

New students listen to team leader Brittany Williams as she explains the insides of the house.