Drawing from the concept that Everything is connected, the University of Maryland’s WaterShed team developed an innovative and simple design solution which mimics a natural ecosystem and creates a tangible approach to ecological design. The team, a collaborative effort  involving over 200 students from diverse disciplines across the University of Maryland campus, including architecture, engineering, environmental science and technology, plant sciences, landscape architecture developed a prototype prefabricated house that shows us how a little creative thinking and integrative approach to design can achieve a stylish and eco-friendly green home.

The WaterShed is based on the concept that sustainable living means living as a part of the landscape and the natural processes that are a part of it. As a result, the design proposes a building that integrates itself with the landscape, creating one holistic system and is inspired by the naturally diverse Cheasepeak Bay.

Winner at this year’s Solar Decathlon a competition ran by the US Department of Energy, the design includes constructed wetlands, storm water and grey water filtering for reuse, green roof, photovoltaic panels, edible landscapes, an even a liquid desiccant waterfall which uses a natural process to dehumidify the internal air.

It also includes a solar thermal array which supplies enough energy to provide all domestic hot water, desiccant regeneration, and supplemental space heating
All of the appliances and engineering systems have been designed to work in harmony with each other and each acts independently to increase the effectiveness of the others

A truly multi-disciplinary approach to design which enables the final product to have a unique identity and overall patent of integration and ecological design which takes the best from nature to bring the best out of typically environmentally damaging technologies. It all came together with flawless detailing which in the end did not compromised its affordability.

Winner
University of Maryland

Despite the attention going to the single winner, there were a lot of worthy participants all with an array of innovative ideas and approaches worth mentioning, so here are brief videos of the rest of the top 6

Second Place
Purdue University

Third Place
New Zealand (Victoria University of Wellington)

Fourth Place
Middlebury College

Fifth Place
Ohio State University

Sixth Place
SCI-Arc/Caltech (The Southern California Institute of Architecture and California Institute of Technology)

Other relevant articles that might be of interest you...