At their end-of-semester crit yesterday, students in Associate Professor Jonathan Knowles’ advanced Architecture studio presented an update on the Techstyle Haus they’re designing for the 2014 Solar Decathlon Europe competition in Versailles, France. The overall shape of the house – the exterior of which will be made of woven fiberglass – has changed in recent months, and students are getting closer to finalizing designs on everything from lighting and power to water treatment systems to interior room dividers and textile wall coverings.  

The critics present for the session, including Dean of Architecture + Design Pradeep Sharma and Interim Dean of Fine Arts Anais Missakian, took part in a wide-ranging discussion that included questions about the mass of the structure; its ability to withstand wind, tension and uplift; the gutter system under development; and the plan of attack for actually assembling the prototype on site – as a fully functional house – prior to the competition in July.