What is SHADE all about?
Team ASUNM (Arizona State University and University of New Mexico) got its name from the acronyms of the two schools. Fortunately, it also spells out SUN where both southwestern states have plenty of. The home’s design reflects its name: SHADE [Solar Homes Adapting for Desert Equilibrium]
SHADE is a modular, functional home designed for an active retired couple advantageously seeking to learn and incorporate renewable technologies into their way of living. Their lifestyle is shaped both by the flexibility and technologies of the space and the connection they have with the landscape. The two modules of the home are designed to be extended to allow the space to grow with the resident. Being in the southwest, the sun is a vital resource. The solar canopy as a part of the SHADE concept isn’t intended just for the individual user, but for the neighborhood as well. This notion of a community solar program extends to address a larger issue. Phoenix, Arizona and Albuquerque, New Mexico face the dilemma of vacant lots in “older” neighborhoods due to extensive suburban sprawl. The modular components of the house , like the solar canopy, can be easily grafted onto an existing home in the neighborhood in order to bring homes up to code, add to the existing square footage of the home, or simply provide sustainable power solutions. This approach is comprehensive in that it addresses the street or community, fosters collaboration, and promotes ownership throughout the neighborhood. Though our user group for the competition is geared toward retired couples we aim to expand our user group for the implementation of the SHADE home in the suburban setting. We intend to reach out to locals and community driven enthusiasts to make SHADE a reality in your neighborhood.
Our Team Goals
Team ASUNM is a diverse team with people from all around the world. This multicultural team has not only reached out to their respective locals (Tempe- Arizona and Albuquerque – New Mexico) but also across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Our team members speak several different languages and have backgrounds in architecture, engineering, solar technologies, construction and communications.
The team’s goal is to reach out to educate the community and the public on sustainable design and the thought process behind creating a sustainable home. Throughout the beginning process of the design, the team decided on a few key issues that had to be addressed: harnessing the sun’s power (being in the southwest), conserving water as it’s a limited resource in Arizona, embracing the desert environment and living with it (shade and its importance in the desert).
From the beginning, Team ASUNM has been working with our local elementary schools to teach the student not only how SHADE came to be, but how to live a sustainable, energy-efficient life. ASUNM has a strong presence in the local energy community and has participated in conferences and forums. Our diverse team had attended the Greenbuild Conference in San Franscico, The Future of Energy forum at the Arizona Science Center, Modular Home Builders Conference, and there is many more to come. The team has been actively engaging with the local companies that will supply the team with resources and materials. ASUNM toured the companies and went behind scenes to see how the products we will use are manufactured. People have been extremely generous with their time and we are excited to have more of that in the coming future.
Keep in eye out for us in the local media! We are coming up with many more great events.
