Architecture students hope to win national competition

on Monday,August 08,2011 23:08

Students from Middlebury, Vermont, have recently been designing and building a solar power house that is also aesthetically pleasing in order to win the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon contest, according to Vermont Public Radio.

Each of the top 20 teams were given $100,000 by the government, but it is fundraising that has gotten them through, as it is expected the house will cost six times as much, according to the media outlet.

The house is full of innovative designs that use sustainable materials. There is even a greenhouse attached to the kitchen in this home.

"The idea is you'll be able to start seedlings here - and then as I'm standing in this space, turn around grab herbs grab lettuce - whatever - turn back this way where I have my cook top, stove and sink and prepare what I'd like. Very little movement, lots of thought," Jesse Catalano, a teammate on the project, told the news source of the greenhouse addition.

Architecture design students may want to know if they will be able to land a job once they graduate from their respective design programs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in this field is expected to increase by 16 percent between the years of 2008 and 2018.