The+Zerow+House

The Zerow house



In 2009, Rice University’s Solar Decathlon team created the Zerow House, which is a solar house designed with affordability in mind. The Zerow House was built with a budget of only $140,000, meager in comparison to the average budget of $490,000 (in 2009). It was designed specifically for Houston’s Third Ward neighborhood, as part of Project Row House, an organization devoted to developing housing for low income families.To date, $150,000 has gone into replicating the design and concept into six energy efficient one and two-bedroom homes. Implemented technologies ranged from a wet core that bundled the house’s water and energy systems into an 8-by-10 foot space, a light core that brought natural light into the house, and a green wall to contribute to passive cooling. []


 * Wet core technology simplified and consolidated energy and water systems in the house, very space-conserving and efficient
 * Incorporated environment into technological design (took into consideration native climate)
 * Affordability and simplicity were the main facets of Rice’s design