French Team Wins Innovative Homebuilding Contest in Hungary

Nearly 400 university students from eight countries signed up for the Solar Decathlon Europe 2019 contest organized in Szentendre, north of Budapest, to test their skills in building prototype houses designed for the age of renewable energy. Solar Decathlon Europe is an international competition that challenges collegiate teams to design and build houses powered exclusively by renewable energy sources. The aim of the competition is to promote architectural solutions related to solar energy, renewable energies and innovative technologies through the houses built by the university teams.

Organized by the Quality Control and Innovation in Building (ÉMI) Non-profit Llc., in partnership with the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) and the Town of Szentendre, the competition featured ten teams, representing 27 universities from eight countries across 3 continents (Algeria, Belgium, France, Hungary, Spain, The Netherlands, Romania and Thailand), with each team building a sustainable, energy-efficient and affordable house in just two weeks.

The French team ‘habiter 2030’ was selected as the winner with a project aimed at renovating 100-year-old terraced houses in France in a manner that reduces the energy consumption of the buildings while rendering them sustainable and comfortable for the elderly.

The jury evaluated features such as architecture, engineering design and construction, energy efficiency, communication and public awareness, urban integration and added value, innovation and viability, sustainability, comfort, dwelling functionality and energy balance.