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| Shoveling cement into the boxed-in wood, the students and faculty advisors together made about 60 blocks. Some had a little construction experience; others had none. Whatever the case, team members of all specialties pitched in and got dirty, shoveling, packing, and scraping cement.  The cement will take about a month to fully set, after which, the team will assemble and finish the modules of the Unit 6 in April. It's current site is 48th Street and Powhatan Avenue on Old Dominion University's campus; however the team is trying to move to a site on Hampton Blvd, which many in Norfolk know is a four-lane and often busy road running through ODU's campus. If successful, the move would allow more passing commuters to see the Unit 6 during its construction. Whatever the case, the house will live on one of these two sites until it is disassembled and transported up to Washington D.C. in August. Check out our Facebook page HERE to see more pictures from the day! |
Friday, March 4, 2011
The Unit 6 Undergoes First Phase of Construction
Our net zero solar house, the Unit 6, is taller than it used to be--currently about 6 inches in height. Members of Team Tidewater began pouring concrete for the foundation blocks of the house on Friday, marking the first traces of its physical existence.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Future Engineers Near and Far
Team Tidewater Members Jim Novak and Holly Anne Hillard spoke Tuesday to a group of young students at Kids Engineering Unplugged 2011. Both Novak and Hillard are civil engineering students at Old Dominion University.
Part of Engineering Unplugged, an annual conference sponsored by the Old Dominion University Business Gateway, Kids Engineering Unplugged was created as a way to involve both engineers and their kids and to teach them about the excitement of environmental engineering.
Novak and Hillard commented on their experiences at ODU, describing a day in the life of an engineering student and how they became involved in the Solar Decathlon 2011. They answered questions about the house, the Unit 6, explaining that much of its design is aimed toward affordability.
Hillard described the Unit 6's greywater system (of which she is the lead designer).
"I don't know why more homes don't use greywater systems," said Hillard. "They're relatively inexpensive and aren't that hard to install."
After their presentation, the kids split up into groups and were challenged to clean up a simulation of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Using a kit that included 3 balloons, 3 rubber bands, plastic baggies filled with soil and frosted mini-wheats, 2 sponges, some cotton balls, tooth picks, and a paper towel square, the task was to isolate the oil and to return the water back to the bucket. Each team was then judged on the water's clarity.
Novak and Hillard also got to participate, trying out their problem-solving skills and competing against the other groups of kids and their parents.
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| Jim Novak and Holly Anne Hillard discuss the Solar Decathlon 2011. Between them is a poster displaying the Unit 6 design. |
Part of Engineering Unplugged, an annual conference sponsored by the Old Dominion University Business Gateway, Kids Engineering Unplugged was created as a way to involve both engineers and their kids and to teach them about the excitement of environmental engineering.
Novak and Hillard commented on their experiences at ODU, describing a day in the life of an engineering student and how they became involved in the Solar Decathlon 2011. They answered questions about the house, the Unit 6, explaining that much of its design is aimed toward affordability.
Hillard described the Unit 6's greywater system (of which she is the lead designer)."I don't know why more homes don't use greywater systems," said Hillard. "They're relatively inexpensive and aren't that hard to install."
After their presentation, the kids split up into groups and were challenged to clean up a simulation of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Using a kit that included 3 balloons, 3 rubber bands, plastic baggies filled with soil and frosted mini-wheats, 2 sponges, some cotton balls, tooth picks, and a paper towel square, the task was to isolate the oil and to return the water back to the bucket. Each team was then judged on the water's clarity.Novak and Hillard also got to participate, trying out their problem-solving skills and competing against the other groups of kids and their parents.
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| Jim Novak and Holly Anne Hillard with Engineering Unplugged Kids of 2011 |
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