Solar Decathlon Latin America and Caribbean: Comfort and the Balance between Passive and Active Design

Herrera-Limones, Rafael; León-Rodríguez, Ángel Luis; López-Escamilla, Álvaro

doi:10.3390/su11133498

Cited by 21 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 54 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The SD competitions are a great opportunity for exploration, since they are based on a line of research whose fundamental purpose is the search for living models [39] that minimize the environmental impact based on the convergence toward H2020, according to UNESCO's SDGs for 2030 [40] and the related Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) [27]. This is based on the conviction that in the search for more habitable, healthy, resilient and, therefore, sustainable city models, sensitive to bioclimatic strategies of adaptation to the climate and the supporting ecosystem, and aimed at maximizing efficiency in the use of resources, healthy future building archetypes [41] will be found and, particularly, new urban models of approach to the city will be defined [40].…”

Section: The Field Of Educational Experimentation Of Sd Competitionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tools for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Design of an Urban Environmental and Healthy Proposal. A Case Study

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article presents a methodological proposal to address the urban issue from the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Different tools have been developed for this purpose: the Aura Method and the Aura Matrix. The Aura Matrix of relationships built from the SDGs, along with the conceptual proposals to which the project must respond, allows for the definition of a methodological framework of action, defined as the Aura Method, applicable to any project that aims to respond to the urban scale from a more sustainable and healthy approach and within the framework of the above-mentioned goals. Two proposals for the Solar Decathlon Latin America of the Aura Team from the University of Seville (2015 and 2019) in Cali, Colombia, and their comparison, are presented as case studies. The scope of the 2019 proposal based on the use of these tools is more rigorous and bold with respect to the requirements defined by the SDGs than the 2015 proposal, based on the millennium goals. This reinforces to a great extent the resilience of the urban scope under study and its capacity to face serious situations in terms of citizens’ health, such as the pandemic we are currently suffering, and improves life quality. The main findings lay on the defined Aura Matrix and Aura Method tools as pragmatic opportunities to translate conceptual approaches such as G3: ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’ into practical decisions and urban design proposals to improve the quality of life and health of citizens.

show abstract

Section: The Field Of Educational Experimentation Of Sd Competitionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tools for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Design of an Urban Environmental and Healthy Proposal. A Case Study

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…During the teaching and research process, participants work on ten contests-hence the name decathlon. These are: Architecture, Energy Efficiency, Engineering and Construction, Comfort, Marketing and Communication, Electrical Energy Balance, House Functioning, Innovation, Urban Design and Affordability and Sustainability [34]. Student participation in the design and construction process allows them to gain experience, not only in the field of architecture, but also tackle the design and conceptual process from an integrated and holistic perspective.…”

Section: The Solar Decathlon Competitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Student Competitions as a Learning Method with a Sustainable Focus in Higher Education: The University of Seville “Aura Projects” in the “Solar Decathlon 2019”

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In recent times, teaching in higher education has undergone a significant transformation. Current advances and innovative proposals in educational science research are centred around a transdisciplinary approach, the so-called integrated curriculum and the incorporation of the transversal concept of sustainability. In summary, the so-called learning processes through problem-solving. The Solar Decathlon Competition is the most prestigious international university student competition for sustainable habitat. The aim of this article is to show how the Aura Strategy, developed by the University of Seville Solar Decathlon Team to participate in the Solar Decathlon 2019 Latin America and Europe competitions, is aligned with the aforementioned proposals. Among the results, the generation of a transforming teaching network of the departmental structures in the University of Seville is to be highlighted. These transformations in teaching lead students to new, broader and more holistic approaches to study, as well as new capabilities and skills. The question of interdisciplinarity requires new tools and research lines to achieve successful implementation in higher education, and the participation in the Solar Decathlon Competition is one of them.

show abstract

“…In 2015, the team was reformulated and the Aura Project was born, and a proposal was submitted to the first edition of the competition in Latin America (SDLAC 2015) [ 53 ]. In this edition, the Aura Prototype, in addition to being recognized with the 3rd Absolute Prize, won 1st Prize in the Comfort Conditions test, as well as several mentions and prizes in other categories [ 54 ].…”

Section: Case Study: Solar Decathlon Competitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health and Habitability in the Solar Decathlon University Competitions: Statistical Quantification and Real Influence on Comfort Conditions

Herrera-Limones

Millán-Jiménez

López-Escamilla

et al. 2020

IJERPH

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Medicine and architecture are disciplines with the main objectives of satisfying the fundamental needs of human beings: health, comfort, well-being, safety, and ensuring an acceptable quality of life in a sustainable habitat. In both areas of knowledge, the advances and the most innovative proposals in the fields of research and teaching are focused on transversal knowledge and the use of learning methods through problem solving (learning by doing). The student competitions called “Solar Decathlon” are focused on the development of these concepts, in which prototypes of sustainable and, as far as possible, healthy social housing are tested. In these university competitions, the design of energy-efficient and comfortable living environments that contribute to the health of the occupants are encouraged; however, the methodology for evaluating the “comfort conditions” stipulated in the competition rules considers only parameters that can be monitored by sensors. For this article, the prototypes presented by the “Solar Decathlon Team of the University of Seville” to the editions of said competition held in Latin America and Europe (in 2015 and 2019, respectively) are being studied. The present research starts from the fact that the unique consideration of measurable indices (such as temperature, humidity, etc.), is clearly insufficient when it comes to evaluating the real conditions of habitability and comfort that a domestic architectural space presents. For this reason, a theoretical–practical analysis is carried out by means of surveys, with the final objective of determining a methodology for evaluating comfort—complementary to that of the competition—which assesses other relevant issues and which, in short, takes into account the repercussion on people’s health. From our analysis, we conclude that at least these two methodologies should be used to evaluate comfort because they are individually considered incomplete in terms of the data provided by each one of them. The survey-based methodology provides complementary information on comfort and health that could be taken into account in future editions of Solar Decathlon.

show abstract

Solar Decathlon Latin America and Caribbean: Comfort and the Balance between Passive and Active Design

Cited by 21 publications

References 54 publications

Tools for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Design of an Urban Environmental and Healthy Proposal. A Case Study

Tools for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Design of an Urban Environmental and Healthy Proposal. A Case Study

Student Competitions as a Learning Method with a Sustainable Focus in Higher Education: The University of Seville “Aura Projects” in the “Solar Decathlon 2019”

Health and Habitability in the Solar Decathlon University Competitions: Statistical Quantification and Real Influence on Comfort Conditions

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About