Southern California Institute of Architecture and California Institute of Technology

DALE, the Dynamic Augmented Living Environment, is this year's U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon entry for the SCI-Arc/Caltech team. Made of two movable, prefabricated modules that open to allow the outdoors in, DALE celebrates the active California lifestyle and fosters thrivability through its dynamic architecture.

Design Philosophy

DALE is a small house that enables its occupants to live large. It is designed to embrace California's climate and inspire a spirit of extreme living in the context of today's sustainable movement. The team presents DALE as an answer to the recent trend of supersized, suburban mansions that elevate cost and material while focusing on largeness. By contrast, DALE reflects an appreciation of and delight in a sustainable living space and aims to reclaim the spirit of Southern California.

  

Features

• Two prefabricated modules move across a rail system and open easily to create an outdoor living space that triples the inhabitable square footage.
• A vinyl exterior skin provides a tight, waterproof body glove and replaces traditional sheathing and finish.
• Two partitions suspended from ceiling tracks in the living module divide the house into a bedroom, living room, and home office—or vanish to create one large living area.
• A core module houses the mechanical room, bathroom, and commercial-sized kitchen.
• Sliding solar canopies offset from each module have vertical louver panels for shade, ventilation, and privacy.
• Interchangeable platforms can vary from a solar thermal collector to a sports rack to an integrated hammock.

Technologies

• A steel superstructure with a pair of motorized bridge crane end trucks moves the modules.
• Spring-loaded cable and hose reel assemblies with a fixed connection to a municipal water and power source hold all the hoses and cables as they travel with the movable modules.
• A 28-panel photovoltaic array produces all of the house's electricity.
• The HVAC system uses state-of-the-art solar water heating technology with solar thermal evacuated tube collectors to maintain a comfortable interior temperature.
• A house monitoring system collects solar energy production data, monitors energy and water consumption, and controls indoor temperatures.
• A unique safety system monitors the movement of the house. 

Market Strategy

DALE is designed to accommodate the active lifestyle and forward-thinking mindset of Southern California. Targeted to active couples who enjoy sports, surfing, biking, and entertaining outdoors, the house resonates with dynamic and environmentally conscious homeowners.

What's Next

After the Solar Decathlon, DALE will likely be transported to the California Science Center, a hands-on museum of science and technology located just south of downtown Los Angeles.  The house will be displayed for public tours and education for up to nine months.