NEXUS HAUS

Bachelor thesis / 2014

SOLAR DECATHLON 2015, 4TH Place.

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA.

The project started as a student competition and the best designs were driven further and eventually merged together. After two semesters of design-process with students from the University of Texas in Austin, a prototype was built. A group of students, supervisors, and assistants from both Universities participated at the 2015 Solar Decathlon with their design and won the 4th place from a total of fifteen participating teams.

The NexusHaus is an affordable, one-story building that actually generates more energy than it consumes. The prototype was created with sustainable materials and equipped with a water treatment system and rooftop solar panels. The house was built in Austin, Texas and addressed the need for affordable urban housing, while being conscious of the depletion of water in the area. The house is zero-water capable through a combination of photovoltaic electricity generation, integrated thermal/water storage systems, and smart home management. The house utilizes the intense heat of the Texas sun during the summer for solar gains as well as air circulation to cool the home during the months of high temperatures. The main goal of NexusHaus was to become a prototype for more modular homes that can be mass produced in Austin Texas, providing jobs for the community, and approachable sustainability for consumers.