At heart, “Solar Decathlon” is a competition of up to 20 teams of college students with the goal of designing and building a house that is entirely powered by solar energy.
The finished results are being judged according to ten very different criteria within the framework of the competition’s final in Madrid, proving that a combination of ecology, energy efficiency, good design and economic viability in building does not need to be a futuristic concept.
Last year the Academy of Engineering, Economics and Design Konstanz managed to qualify for the last stage of competition in Madrid, being selected from a field of more than 150 teams.
To make the concept reality, however, a multitude of different materials were needed and Fritz Kohl was happy to provide the necessary veneers to make a small contribution to this doubtlessly promising venture.
These were used for floors, but also for the specially developed supporting elements of the structure, that were wholly made up of wooden box girder-profiles.
The ambitious project made it to 4th rank overall, winning two of ten single category prizes while proving that wood and veneer are more than suited raw materials for building the ecological and attractive home of the future.
