Faculty advisor to 2015 and 2017 student teams who design, build, and showcase a net-zero energy home for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Competition.
Completed homes are returning to UC Davis to become part of an on-campus Sustainable Living and Learning Community, where students will live in, monitor, and maintain a new community of six solar homes adjacent to the historical Domes village, the Experimental Gardens, and the Student Farm.
Contributions to the 2015 project:
– Prepared preliminary design for competitive entry to Solar Decathlon with Brett Snyder; prepared color renderings and directed students on preparation of additional renderings (2014).
– Assisted interdisciplinary team of students with architectural design development, material selections, and drawings (2014-2015).
– Conducted research on migrant farmworker housing, working with graduate students Todd Simmons and Jessica Smith to prepare a report on farmworker housing regulatory frameworks in California (2014).
– Acted as faculty advisor for the landscape architecture team, assisting with planting plans for the final project exhibition in Irvine, California (2015).
– Prepared conceptual site plans for permanently locating the Solar Decathlon building at the UC Davis campus; coordinated with campus planning staff and campus administrators on feasibility and cost estimating (2015).
Contributions to the 2017 project:
– Prepared preliminary design for competitive entry to Solar Decathlon with Brett Snyder; prepared color renderings and directed students on preparation of additional renderings (2015).
– Provided interdisciplinary team with design critiques on architectural and landscape designs (2016-2017).
– Supervised landscape design team with planting plans for the final project exhibition in Denver, Colorado (2017).
David de la Peña 