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Box video diary
From the initial plans on the drawing boards and the first test build in wintry Germany to the arduous construction of the four buildings in Madrid, it was a long haul to the awards ceremony on 27 June 2010.
Here you can gain an insight into the various phases of the competition and learn how the four German teams coped with the challenges presented by the Solar Decathlon.
The final round with awards ceremony
It was exciting right up to the end…
Who will win? It was a neck-and-neck race. Right up to the end, the competitor rankings changed with each individual discipline.
Competition: Days 8 and 9
The competition approaches the final round…
The prizes for the remaining individual disciplines – Lighting, Innovation and Comfort Conditions – are still to be awarded. The competition turned into a close fight to the finish…
Competition: Days 6 and 7
Time for home comforts ...
The prototype houses are tested in terms of their usability. An evening dinner with the “neighbour” is just the right thing.
Competition: Days 1 to 5
The tension mounts from day to day…
The time has come: The competition has started. Day for day the jury will now award points and rankings for the individual disciplines: Architecture, Construction and Engineering, Comfort Conditions, Functionality of the Building Services Technology, Industrialisation and Market Viability, etc.
Construction: Days 6 to 10
Rain makes for difficult conditions…
That is utterly unusual for Madrid: In June, it pours down with rain just days before the competition begins. Although the construction site for the buildings is sinking in mud, the competition is about to start on Friday, 18 June!
Construction: Days 1 to 5
Work around the clock…
The four university teams build their prototype buildings in day and night shifts. Time is running short and improvisation is the name of the game. Will they manage to construct perfect and fully functioning buildings by the start of the competition in just ten days?
Preparation: Construction of the buildings “at home”.
The university teams first of all construct their buildings “at home” in order to carefully test the prototypes in terms of their functionality and to gain experience for the competition. In Madrid, ten days is all they will have for constructing the buildings.