Follow our journey!
DAYS TO GO
[04.DEC.2015]
Competition start
Cali, Colombia
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SDLAC15 Draws to a Close
Today is the last day of the competition! Only 2 more hours left to see the houses, as of 4pm the villa will no longer be open to the public. You best be quick!
Day 08 of the Competition
Annnd we’re done! Finally we have a finished house. With only 3 days left of the competition, there isn’t long let to visit us at the Solar Villa! You better be quick.
Day 07 of the Competition
Public tours are in full swing now! The queues were forming early today as people waited to see inside Sol_ID.
Day 06 of the Competition
Congratulations to teams Pei and Casa Uruguay, for winning the Architecture and Innovation contests respectively. It may not have been our night in the contests but we opened our house and for that we are immensely proud. Now to welcome the Communications and Sustainability jury, fingers crossed!
Day 05 of the Competition
Good news! We’re finally open! There’s still some work to be done to finish the solar envelope however our doors are now open to the public. In addition to this, the architecture and innovation awards are about to be announced. It’s a big night for us here at the Solar Villa. We’ll keep you posted.
Day 04 of the Competition
We’re so close! We may not be open to the public yet but we’re still in the competition. The house has been cleaned and tidied, we’ll be welcoming the architecture jury any second!
Day 03 of the Competition
We now fully understand why construction takes so long. Work continues on the primary roof and solar envelope this morning.
Day 02 of the Competition
Good news! Our electrical system has been completed and signed off! The first monitor was installed just a few hours ago and our energy efficiency is now being measured. We’ve nearly finished construction, this really is the final push.
Day 01 of the Competition
The competition phase may be officially underway however the decision was made yesterday that none of the houses were ready for public exhibition. We’ve been working all night to make the required changes. The next inspection will take place in 45 minutes. Fingers crossed this time!
Today is the Day!
The Solar Decathlon LAC 2015 competition phase will begin in just over an hour. Last night was the official opening ceremony where we were honoured by the presence of the British Ambassador. A fantastic ceremony with some inspiring words from Richard King, Director of Solar Decathlon, we can’t wait to get started and see what the other teams have brought to the table!
01 Day to Go – Final Push
We’re nearly there! We downed tools at 6am this morning in preparation for inspection and sensor installation. The inauguration will take place this evening before the Solar Villa is opened to the public tomorrow. We have from 10pm tonight until 6am tomorrow to finish. One last push.
02 Days to Go – Raising the Roof
We finished the roof, the crane arrived, lifted it up and it didn’t break. Finally we have a structurally sound roof!
03 Days to Go – Constructing the Roof
After discovering in Bogota the structure wouldn’t suffice, we’re now making a second attempt at constructing the roof. We will never take structural engineers for granted again!
04 Days to Go – Everyday Progressing
We all loved the idea of winter in the sun…until we had to work in it. We’ve been seeking refuge in the Solar Villa cafe a lot recently, today we used it to discuss how to construct the ramp before actually building it. With the external canopy arches are also in good progress, it’s certainly been a productive Monday morning!
05 Days to Go – Dawning of a New day
Watching the sun rise over the Solar Villa this morning. We’re now half way through our assembly phase, only 5 days to go until all houses are opened to the public!
06 Days to Go – Installing the Interior
With the bulk of Sol_ID reassembled in one day, we’re now hard at work installing the internal cladding fillets and the service pods.
07 Days to Go – Reassembling Sol_ID
Good morning from the Solar Villa! With only one week left until the competition phase commences, we’re reassembling Sol_ID in record time.
08 Days to Go – Starting SDLAC15 Assembly Phase
The team and Sol_ID have arrived safely at the Solar Villa! Time to reassemble and finish what we started in Bogota.
09 Days to Go – Moving to Cali
After one brilliant month in Bogota, it’s time to disassemble Sol_ID again and head on down to Cali. It’s time for Solar Decathlon 2015! We have been working towards this moment for the last 13 months, be sure to follow our progress.
10 Days to Go – Exhibiting in the Plaza
Many thanks to everyone who has visited us in the Plaza de Bolivar this morning. The support and feedback we have recieved far exceeded our expectation. Tonight we will begin disassembly and transport Sol_ID to Cali. If you haven’t had a chance to visit us already, get down to the Plaza before 5pm, or why not visit us in Cali?! All competiting houses will be open for public exhibition from the 4th until the 15th of December
11 Days to Go – Sol_ID Inauguration
Today we officially opened Sol_ID for public exhibition! Thank you so much to everyone who attended our inauguration, we hope you enjoyed it. A special thank you to UK in Colombia, Bogotá D.C. and the Government Secretary for your kind words and to all of our sponsors who helped make Sol_ID happen. The roof may not be finished however, we are incredibly proud of what we have achieved this far. Exhibiting in Plaza de Bolivar has been a fantastic opportunity to showcase not only innovation in sustainable social housing design but what can be achieved when we all come together. Sol_ID will remain open until tomorrow (Tuesday) evening before we move to Cali for Solar Decathlon 2015. Please do come along and see us!
12 Days to Go – Reassembling at the Plaza
Sunday morning in Bolivar Square. With only one day left until the official opening of Sol_ID, there’s still a lot to be done. The majority of the team is on site in the Plaza with a few members finishing off the sleeping and service pods at SENA.
13 Days to Go – Servicing Sol_ID
We’re working hard to finish the service and sleeping pods in time for the inauguration. After one month at SENA, we’re going to be sad to leave. Their hospitality and support from both staff and students has extended far beyond what we could have asked for. Allowing us the use of their fantastic facilities really has enabled Sol_ID to become a reality.
14 Days to Go – Continuing Work at SENA
The bulk of Sol_ID may now be at Plaza de Bolivar however work still continues at SENA. A Friday morning well spent painting the envelope in the sunshine…we’re really missing winter in London right now.
15 Days to Go – Moving to the Plaza
Plaza De Bolivar, here we come! Sol_ID is currently being disassembled and loaded on to the first truck. Want to find out more or experience Sol_ID first hand? Visit us in the Plaza where we will be open for exhibition from the 23rd until the 24th of November.
16 Days to Go – Creating and Innovating
Our first attempt creating the mycelium feature wall! We will be displaying it outside Sol_ID during the exhibition in Plaza de Bolivar and during the competition phase of the Solar Decathlon.
17 Days to Go – Sleeping in the Sleeping Pod
We have a sleeping pod and it’s looks rather inviting right now! Only one week to go until we move to Cali to start the assembly phase. Where has the time gone!
18 Days to Go – Sol_ID Progressing
Monday morning status – last night we finished painting the envelope frames and installed the columns, ready for the canopy. With the floor now complete, Sol_ID is coming together quickly. The team are working extremely hard, only one more day until we move to Plaza de Bolivar!
19 Days to Go – Sunday Lunching
With the Sapan now laid, the floor is officially finished! We took this opportunity to test it’s comfort and had Sunday lunch, outside, on the deck.
20 Days to Go – Living Pod Popping Up
The floor finish it well underway, the envelope is in good progress and living pod has popped up nicely now too. Thank goodness for CNC machines!
21 Days to Go – Coming Together Nicely
With the floor almost finished and the envelope beginning to take shape, Sol_ID is finally starting to look like a house!
21 Days to Go – Breaking News!
We will be exhibiting in the Plaza de Bolivar from Tuesday the 17th of November for one week. The pressure is now on and the team has is working day and night to get Sol_ID finished.
22 Days to Go – Mycelium Bricks Arriving
This morning we had a special delivery from Manizales! Many thanks to Sandra and Diego from the bio-processing plant within Universidad de Caldas for sending them, It’s like Christmas has come early here!
23 Days to Go – Welcoming more of the Team
Yesterday, 6 more members of the team arrived from London. Before the jetlag set in, it was straight to work at SENA. The floor is coming along nicely now, many hands do make light work!
24 Days to Go – Preparing the Envelope
Whilst some members of the team focus on the deliverable package, work continues on site. In tandem to the floor production, the envelope is starting to come together now too.
24 Days to Go – Deliverable No. 4
With the final deliverable before the competition commences being submitted tomorrow, it’s a combined effort from London and Bogota to collate all the material.
25 Days to Go – Laying the Floor
Finally we have a floor! With the Sapan being laid, Sol_ID is starting to take shape.
26 Days to Go – Preparing the Floor
With the cassettes assembled it’s time to start levelling, painting and attaching the formulata in preparation for the floor finish.
27 Days to Go – Shooting the Audiovisual
This morning the team in London are shooting an audiovisual explaining our design process and how Sol_ID came to be. Footage coming soon!
28 Days to Go – Cassettes Complete
Today we completed the floor cassettes and laid them out on site. The scale of Sol_ID has just become a reality!
29 Days to Go – Tried and Tested
The first fully assembled floor cassette is complete and has been tried and tested!
The Countdown Begins!
Just 30 Days to go until the competition commences! Last night we competed all 12 frames. The only UK entry into Solar Decathlon Latin America 2015, constructing Sol_ID ourselves is certainly a learning curve. In just one months time we will have a full functioning, 1:1 prototype of a solar powered house!
Making Progress
Eight floor cassette frames assembled, only 4 more to go. We will be constructing all aspects of Sol_ID ourselves. With many of us having limited to no previous site experience, we will be using low skill labour techniques.
Starting the Floor
The first floor cassette has been laid out on site, ready to be assembled! Time to get fixing.
Getting Organised
Tools purchased and labelled in preparation for commencing working first thing on Monday morning. A Sunday well spent!
Special Delivery
Today we had the first of the wood delivered on site. Now just to colour code it in preparation for starting the floor cassettes on Monday!
Striking a Balance
With the final deliverable being pushed back until mid November, the team in London took the opportunity to go rock climbing. They kindly sent us this photo as a reminder that we’re not the only ones having fun!
Friday Feeling
Friday morning at HelioMet Colombia HQ. There’s nothing like some fresh local fruit to start the day!
Introducing Rothoblaas
Today we had a great meeting with Rothoblaas in Bogota. It is with great pleasure that we introduce you to our official fixings supplier! We’re extremely excited to have them onboard and are thank them for their support.
Starting on Site
The tape is down. We’re ready to go. Today we officially start on site where we will construct Sol_ID for the first time!
Practicing our Construction Techniques
How we spend our downtime…practicing construction techniques. First, with cards, then with canopy. We have building on the brain!
Engaging the support of Bentley Systems
Earlier today, the team in London met with Zeljko and Vinayak from Bentley Systems to discuss potential sponsorship. Our primary drawing and modelling platform for many years, Bentley has helped to make all Heliomet projects a reality. It was a pleasure to meet them and we’re glad to have their support!
Looking over Bogota City
Last night we took a trip up to Monserrate. At 3,152m metres above sea level we looked out over Bogota from within the clouds…a Saturday night well spent!
Site Visit to SENA
Today we took the Transmilenio down to Soacha to visit SENA. We had heard from our project manager how fantastic their facilities were, however it was nothing compared to seeing the centre first hand. Further to discussions last week, they have very kindly offered us the use of their facilities and space on their site to construct Sol_ID. We’re excited to get started!
Team visit to Plaza Bolivar
This afternoon we visited Plaza Bolivar again. With more members of the team present this time, it was a good opportunity for us to discuss the prospect of exhibiting SOL_ID there as a group. See for yourself, it really is a fantastic location!
Introducing ourselves to Greendipity
After their visit to SENA in the morning, the Cali team took a visit to solar energy provider, Greendipity. Together they worked on technical details for the PV system and looked at refining a design most suitable for the context of SDLAC15.
Another trip to the Botanical Gardens
The team in Bogota started the day with a visit to the Botanical Gardens. Following on from our visit last Friday, it was a good opportuntiy for the wider team to see the site. We took some measurements and considered how exactly Sol_ID would look.
Visiting friends in Cali
Today the team in Cali caught up with the Vrissa team from SENA. We first met these guys during workshop one back in February and have maintained a friendly competitor relationship since! It was great to see how well they are progressing and we look forward to spending more time with them in Cali next month.
Investigating CNC providers
This afternoon we took an other visit to Constructor before looking into a potential CNC provider. They kindly allowed us to test out their machines so we modelled a corner of the canopy.
Upgrading our Bogota Office
We are happy to announce we have upgraded our Colombia HQ to something more substantial. Many thanks to Hotel Saint Simon for allowing us the use of their conference room for the next few days. We are in the process of finding a more permanent premise, more updates coming soon…we hope.
Visiting the Solar Villa Site
The final two members of the construction team have now arrived in Colombia. Conor and Ann have continued straight on to Cali and will join the rest of the team in Bogota, later in the week. Today they visited the Solar Villa to take some measurements and refresh our memory of the site. In 30 days time, this empty field will be home to 15 fully functioning prototypical houses! Time flies.
Collecting the Construction Team Uniform
This morning we collected our official Team HelioMet uniform! Many thanks to Bordocol for producing them. Now we’re ready to start constructing our prototype!
Reuniting with Sandra and Diego
For the past few days Laura has been in Manizales working with Sandra and Diego from the bio-processing plant within Universidad de Caldas. She has been overseeing the initial production of our mycelium feature wall. It’s not long until Sol_ID will be open for exhibition and you can see the mycelium wall for yourself. Watch this space for more information to follow. We first met with Sandra and Diego back in July when we visited for workshop two. We’re excited to finally start working with them!
Dividing and Conquering
Today we took the divide and conquer approach, attending a number of meetings simultaneously across Bogota city and in fact the country. Elian and Henriette met with SENA again to further discuss the details of collaboration. Heather attended a meeting with UK Colombia Trade, whilst Edoardo met with a potential CNC provider. Laura has embarked on a 3 day trip to Manizales to visit, Sandra Montoya Barreto, Director of the bio-processing plant, update on her progress coming very soon!
Catching up with the Team at Home
Whilst the Construction Team have been making exciting progress in Colombia, the Team back in London have been working very hard towards deliverable 4. The last of official SDLAC deliverables, the pressure is on to make sure all material is ready. We look forward to them joining us very soon!
Introducing Team HelioMet Colombia HQ
Five out of seven members of the team, including our Project Manager, have now arrived in Colombia! WIth a busy few weeks ahead there’s no time to waste, it’s straight to work. We are looking for a more temporary office, however the bed has made an excellent desk in the interim.
Approaching potential Sponsors
This morning we visited two of our potential sponsors. We approached Virgin Mobile asking them to provide us with sim cards and mobile tarrif plans for the duration of our stay. No team can function without a means of communication! We are hopeful Homecenter Constructor, Arauco and Argos with provide us with the materials to make SOL_ID a functioning realtity. Fingers crossed!
Strategically strolling through Bogotá Botanical Gardens
Today we took a walk in the park. However, it wasn’t any old walk in the park, this was strategical. On the hunt for an exhibition site to promote SOL_ID prior to the assembly phase, we have looked at a number of potential locations around the city. The Botanical Gardens is a fantastic facility, so tropical. We highly recommend a visit!
Introducing ourselves to Bogotá City Council
After a promising morning with SENA, we took it upon ourselves to visit the Town Hall. We had a great meeting with Paula and Carlos from the Bogota City Council, International Relations Office. We’re excited to have them onboard as an official supporter of Team HelioMet. They will helping us with a number of matters including securing an exhibition site for SOL_ID…Plaza Boliver is looking pretty nice, don’t you think?
Discussing collaboration with SENA
With the Construction Team transatlantic, our Project Manager has made himself extremely busy. He started the day by visiting SENA, an organisation we have been in discussions with for the last year. They too have a team competing in SDLAC15, Vrissa. We were fortunate to meet them in Cali during the first workshop back in February and have since formed a friendly competitor relationship. Today we furthered the discussion of collaboration during a visit to their fantastic facility in Bogotá.
Conquering Colombia
Our Project Manager has arrived safely in Bogotá! Now to await the arrival of the Construction Team. We cannot wait to get started! Only 47 days until SDLAC assembly phase commences.
Waving off the Construction Team
Yesterday we bid farewell to our Project Manager as he departed for Colombia. This morning he was closely followed by the first of our Construction Team. Over the next few days, 6 members of the team will be travelling to both Bogota and Cali as we prepare to build SOL_ID for the first time. The rest of the team will remain in London as we work towards deliverable 4 before flying out for the assembly phase in one months time.
Working with Price & Myers
With the final deliverable and construction phase fast approaching, we’re working very hard to finalise all of aspects of the design. Over the past week we have hosted a number of workshops at The Cass with structural engineers from Price & Myers. The design, particularly that of the canopy has changed quite significantly since they first came on board in April. It has been a great opportunity for both existing and new members of the team to discuss the proposed structure in depth with the people who know best.
Testing the Team
There’s no better way to start a Thursday morning than with a quiz. In order to make sure the new recruits are up to speed, we’ve put together a small test covering everything from competition rules to team admin structure. They have been studying hard and we’re confident they will pass with flying colours. Good luck guys!
Say Hello to Team Heliomet 2016
Now we would like to officially introduce to you, Team Heliomet 2016! In addition to the existing students from the previous academic year we have been joined by 13 new Diploma in Architecture and 4 MA DAM students. What a great bunch they are! Many thanks to our in house photographer Katarina for taking such great photographs.
Behind the Scenes
Here's a sneak peek behind the scenes of our photo shoot outside of The Cass today. We’re looking forward to seeing how they turn out. Watch this space, official photos of the 2016 Team Heliomet coming soon!
Working with Boom Collective
With the assembly phase commencing in just over a month, the new team have jumped straight in! We’re very excited to have M&E engineers from Boom Collective join us this week. This is a great opportunity for us to discuss the integration of services with leading industry professionals. With their assistance and expertise we feel confident we can establish a successful scheme for SDLAC15!
Welcoming the Team of 2016
It’s a new year and we have 18 new additions to the team. We’re really excited to have them come onboard and look forward to what they can bring to the table. There’s no better introduction than pizza and beer. Welcome, Team Heliomet 2016!
Summer Working
As summer draws to a close, we are now preparing to commence the new academic year. This means, changing unit space. Farewell Heliomet HQ, it’s been a pleasure.
Prototype Building
With deliverable three complete, we thought we’d share a little throwback with you. Due to the competitive nature of the project, we have been conscious of keeping the design under wraps. Here’s a timelapse video taken of back in May of the team constructing a 1:10 model of the prototypical unit. Enjoy!
Deliverable No. 3
Three out of Four SDLAC deliverables are now complete! We can’t believe how quickly the year has passed. The construction phase and final deliverable will soon be upon us and the Sol_ID prototype will become a physical reality. Here is what it is currently looking like.
Work in Progress
Following feedback from SDLAC during Workshop 2, the team have been working very hard to develop the canopy and refine the design further. Here’s a sneak peek at how it’s looking. We promise we’ll share more soon.
Counting down the Days
We have less than 100 days to go until the construction phase in Cali commences. You can keep track and countdown with us via the live feed on the homepage of our website.
Hitting the ground Running
With exactly one month until deliverable three is submitted, we have returned from Colombia and hit the ground running. Attending workshop number 2 in Cali was extremely beneficial. Having the opportunity to discuss our design with the organisers enabled us to explore further areas of development. It’s certainly going to be a busy a month!
Returning from Cali
After an exciting and educational 10 days in Cali, the team has now returned to London. We look forward to hearing tales of their adventure and updates on progress during a thorough debrief with the rest of the team, later this week!
Heliomet in Colombia, Day 9: Venturing into the world of Guadua
Today we visited a district on the southern edge of Bogota City called Soacha. With thanks to our collaborator Dr. Hector Archilla from Amphibia Group Ltd, a tour around a Guadua (Bamboo) distribution centre was set-up with Wilson Aristizabal, the CEO of Arme Ideas en Guadua Ltda. The experience allowed us to see the processes involved during the manufacturing stages. Our aim is to incorporate the material into our unit design, and explore its potential.
The day continued with Andres Cabal from Solar Decathlon Uniandes 2015: Más Huerto, Más Casa., which we would like to thank for introducing us to Bogota, followed by the end of our visit to Colombia and a warm welcome back to London.
Heliomet in Colombia, Day 8: Meeting the UK Embassy in Colombia!
We visited the UK Embassy in Colombia. They are supporting our project as it serves to strengthen innovation between UK and Colombia.
Possible collaboration with Constructor Homecenter
We just finished a visit and meeting with Homecenter. Edsel and his team showed us the store and all the services and products that they offer to the construction industry. We also discussed the possibility to produce, build and assemble our SOL_ID prototype in very close collaboration with them: in their parking using their products. Look at the photos of our visit here.
Heliomet in Colombia, Day 7: Engaging with potential sponsors
We had a presentation to potential partners at Green Center where we discussed the feasibility of scaling up after the Solar Decathlon our innovative proposal. We visited SENA and evaluated potential collaboration with Centro de la Construction. SENA is also participating at SDLAC2015!
We also visited Homecenter to discuss partnership opportunities. Thank you Edsel for the copy of your great catalogue.
Heliomet in Colombia, Day 6: On the field! Visiting Terrón Coloreado
Today we visited Terrón Coloreado, an intervention into the Comuna 1 of Cali, where façades are given a new high quality colored life by local volunteers in order to increase community unification and overcome stigmatization. We were guided by the vice-president of the Fundación Terron Coloreado, local architect Andres Colonia, thank you!
Heliomet in Colombia, Day 5: Construir hoy la Cali de mañana
We spent the day discovering Cali. Today was the city’s 479th Birthday! (and the 24th of our decathlete Nick Bastow!)Their message to the people was ‘construir hoy la Cali del mañana’ – ‘building today the Cali of tomorrow’ a message that resonates with our sustainable social housing project!
Heliomet in Colombia, Day 4: Another cover page for our collection!
Early start discussing energy efficiency at our second day of the Solar Decathlon Workshop no.2. We were also featured in today’s national newspaper El Pais. You can have a look at the article here: http://www.elpais.com.co/elpais/cali/noticias/solar-decathlon-2015-sera-cali
Heliomet in Colombia, Day 3: Presenting our project at Solar Decathlon Workshop no. 2
It’s 3pm here in Cali, and we’re currently listening to all the multi-national university teams present their Urban Master Plan proposals for the city.
Team HelioMet’s model thankfully arrived safely this morning and is on display! Our presentation is coming up soon – We will be discussing our adaptable, affordable mid-rise social housing proposals. We’ll touch on our material research and the ways in which we foresee our design being inhabited and developed on the long-term.
Heliomet in Colombia, Day 2: Meeting Sandra Montoya Baretto
At 5am we travelled by bus from Cali to Manizales to meet with Sandra Montoya Barreto, Director of the bio-processing plant, part of Universidad de Caldas, that specialises in biotechnology macromycetes. After a fascinating tour of their facilities we discussed how to implement agricultural waste such as coffee grounds, cocoa and wood shavings with mycelium for building our prototype.
Heliomet in Colombia, Day 1: Telepacifico Cali interviews our team!
Raising awareness through an interview with Entrevista Telepacifico in Cali today. Thank you to the Telepacifico team and Idaly Toro!
Team Touchdown
Ya estamos en Colombia! on our way to Cali for the Workshop#2 of Solar Decathlon Latin America 2015 !
Model Shipping
After lots of tweaking and perfecting the Urban Masterplan Model is finally finished, boxed up and ready to go. We sent it on it’s way, waving bon voyage and wishing it safe travels. Watch out Colombia, it’s coming for you and so are we…only one more week until workshop number two commences!
Model Making
There’s only one week left until our 1:200 Urban Masterplan Model departs for Cali. Following a month of exhibitions, it’s back to the studio as we prepare for Solar Decathlon Workshop 2. It’s great to see the design coming together and we are looking forward to seeing how the other teams have progressed.
RIBA II Presentations
It’s a big week for our fifth years and the moment they have all been waiting for. The time has now come for them to present to the RIBA panel. We wish them, and all 5th years across the country, the best of luck. The end is finally in sight!
Making Exhibition
Who knew we had made so much! The Cass exhibition dedicated solely to ‘making’ has given us the opportunity to showcase all of our modelling efforts and handywork throughout the year, from Mycelium bricks to housing maquettes. It will remain open until the end of the month, so if you’re passing through Aldgate feel free to pop into the Bank at The Cass and have a look.
Touring London for our SDLAC countdown campaign
With summer now in full swing, we thought we would make the most of the nice weather and stretch our legs around London. Armed with our trusty countdown board, we took to the streets on a social awareness raising mission. See flickr for the full range of snaps and give us a wave should you see us again.
Installing Making
Exhibition number two on its way up. You’ll find us in the Bank Gallery at The Cass, for the rest of the month. Come along, meet the team and see first hand the wonder of mycelium as we unveil the long awaited hexabrick and panel formations!
Visit our London Festival of Architecture exhibition
June is going to be a very busy month for Team Heliomet. We have a number of exciting events coming up including, The Cass Summer Show, Making Exhibition and London Festival of Architecture. Tonight was the beginning of our LFA, “Heliomet Getting Ready” series. We hosted an open crit at The Cass, it was a great opportunity to gain feedback on the project. Many thanks to all who attended, check out the LFA website and our social media pages for more information. For our next installment, we will holding a debate on the value of Design/Build projects for achieving innovation in academia and practice. Come along to The Cass on Tuesday the 9th of June, meet the team and join in.
Our prototype to remain at the BRE Innovation Park?
We had a great day at BRE Watford last week discussing sustainability, innovation and most importantly the Sol_ID legacy. The Building Research Establishment started pushing the sustainability agenda back in the 1970’s and now remains the world pioneer institution in sustainability for the built environment. Exciting times! If you’re in the area, check our their Innovation Park. It’s well worth a visit.
Workshop with Amphibia Group Ltd
This week, we are pleased to have the assistance of Dr Hector Archila from Amphibia Group. Colombian born, he is a pioneer in the production of cross laminated bamboo, or guadua as it’s know in Colombia. Now based in Bath, we are very excited to welcome him to Cassworks where he will produce with us one of his company’s innovative structural panels. Let’s make some CLB!
Workshop with structural engineers from Price & Myers
Today we were joined by engineers from Price & Myers. An extremely beneficial visit, it was a great opportunity for the team to be able to discuss the design and gain a better understand of how the structure would work.
Meeting with Ecovative’s CEO Eben Bayer
We are everyday impressed by the strong support received from the mycelium community! This week we met Eben Bayer, founder of Ecovative, sharing experiences of first grows and evaluating the feasibility of a new collaboration!
Presenting our innovative biomaterials to BRE dragons!
Following conversations at Ecobuild, BRE have kindly invited us along to their Watford Campus this week to pitch our ideas to “the dragons”. An event set up in partnership with CIOB, we are one of four fledging organisations presenting innovative solutions to a panel of construction experts. We’re excited to see what they make of mycelium!
Our first mycelium bio-composite brick is here!
For the last two weeks we have been closely following the growth of our first half-brick application of our research in mycelium bio-composites. Follow our news posts for more details on our research and application of this material for Solar Decathlon.
Meeting Sandra Montoya Barreto
It was a pleasure having our first skype meeting with Sandra Montoya Barreto, director of University of Caldas Bioprocessing Plant in Manizales, Colombia. SOL_ID promotes the use of local resources and knowledge and we are looking forward to a possible collaboration into the production of mycelium bricks for Solar Decathlon Latin America 2015.
Making moulds for our bio-composite bricks
Our team is in the workshop this week, looking into different configurations of Mycelium brick moulds and further developing the design of our prototype.
Happy easter!
We’ve got that holiday feeling in the studio this week. It’s been an exciting but busy term for the team and we are very much looking forward to having well earned rest over the easter break. However, there’s still work to be done. With academic submissions looming, it really is the busiest time of the academic year. Nothing a little salsa music won’t help us through!
Working with mycelium bio-composites community experts!
Great week spent connecting with mycologists around the word! First, we spoke this week with Phil Ross, mycologist with more than 10 years of experience in the field. Furthermore, the team has been joined by two MA Architecture students from Sweden, Susanna and Anita. As part of a joint venture between London Metropolitan and Chalmers University in Gothenburg, we will work together to further investigate and research the us of mycelium at lab scale. We will start the inoculation process for experiments 5 and 6, looking into the formation of half bricks, hexabricks and panels.
Visit to Ecobuild
A number of the team attended Ecobuild last week. We had a great time looking at various different systems and materials. It was a good opportunity for us to discuss the project and any queries with specialist in the sustainable design industry. It was brilliant to see the spectrum of products available on the market and how quickly technology is developing.
Thank you Sto Werkstatt!
Many thanks to Sto Werkstatt and everyone who came along to our open evening last week. It was great to meet and discuss the project with so many of you. We will keep you updated with our progress and any more events to come!
Want to know more? Find our exhibition this week in Clerkenwell!
Our first promotional and information evening is taking place this Monday at Sto Werkstatt in Clerkenwell. This is a great opportunity to meet the team and find out more about the project and the competition. You can see our work in progress, material research and more. The exhibition will remain open for the rest of the week, so if you can’t make it, please feel free to drop in another day.
Thank you Colombia!
We had a brilliant week in Colombia, it was great being able to meet the other teams and discuss our ideas. In addition to the official organised solar decathlon events, we took this opportunity to engage with potential Team Heliomet supporters and sponsors. With the help of the British Consul in Cali, we met a number of industry professionals and organisations working within similar fields. Check out the flickr album for more information!
Heliomet in Cali Day 6: Introducing SENA
On our final day in Colombia, we visited SENA, a technical skills college in Cali. Our fellow decathletes, they too are competing in SDLAC15 and it was a pleasure to meet the whole team. They kindly allowed us a tour of their brilliant facilities as we discussed the potential of collaboration. We look forward to seeing them all again soon.
Heliomet in Cali Day 5: Seeing the sights of Cali
Our first trip to Cali is coming to an end, however we couldn’t leave without seeing the sights. Today we embraced our inner tourist and took a trip to Cristo Rey. It’s been a fantastic week and we are extremely excited to return in December!
Heliomet in Cali Day 4: Exploring Constructor
With no organised SDLAC activities or meeting schedules, the team took this opportunity to explore the local hardware store, Constructor. We began compiling a list of items we will require during the construction and assembly phases…it’s a rather extensive list.
Heliomet in Cali Day 3: SD City Tour
After an insightful morning at Potrero Grande, we had the opportunity to discuss the project in depth with the organisers during a one-to-one. During the afternoon we parted ways. Two members of the team joined our fellow decathletes for tour of Cali to see the sites, experience local delicacies and partake in some salsa. The remaining two attended a meeting with Emsirva, a company which developed a brick entirely made of sediments and construction wastes. This was extremely beneficial particularly in relation to mycelium. Many exciting ideas were explored!
Heliomet in Cali Day 3: Visiting Potrero Grande
Following our meeting with EMCALI on Wednesday, they kindly offered to show us around Potrero Grande, a social housing development in an area of very low income. Here EMCALI is running 10 prototypical, solar powered, pilot projects where they have installed solar panels onto the roof of each house. We were very fortunate meet Sandra, one of the residents. She very kindly allowed us a tour of her home, a typical 2-storeys unit where 5 people reside. We discussed with her the benefits and disadvantages of such a scheme and what changes she would make, she should be given the chance. This lead to further discussion regarding the energy monitoring scheme and other key objectives of the project. This was a fantastic opportunity to gain a better understanding of both social and cultural issues, information we will utilise when developing Sol_ID.
Heliomet in Cali Day 2: SDLAC Workshop in the Universidad de Valle.
Today we attended SDLAC Workshop number 1. It was great to meet the other teams for the first time and have the opportunity to discuss different aspects of the competition. We were taken to the site of the Solar Villa where interviews with both local and national press were conducted. Later that evening we attended a Cocktail mixer at the Spiwak hotel, where teams could mingle and present their excitement videos to fellow decathletes. It’s been an exciting day and the competition is beginning to feel more like a reality.
Heliomet in Cali Day 1: Meeting with Green Center
We continued our day of meetings after lunch with Marcela Huertas, COO of Green Center. As part of the initial SDLAC management team, Marcela has a wealth of knowledge within the sustainable design industry, a very good understanding of the competition’s scope and encouraging enthusiasm for our project. We discussed in depth what Heliomet could bring to not only to the competition but to Cali and established a number of potential sponsorship opportunities. We’re very excited to have her supporting us and very much look forward to working together!
Heliomet in Cali Day 1: Meeting with Honorary Consul and EMCALI
We’ve had an exciting and very productive first day in Colombia. After a long journey, there was no time for rest as we made our way to meet with Simon Ford, British Honorary Consul in Cali. He was extremely helpful, putting us into contact with a number of different companies and individuals who might be able to assist us. One of these companies was EMCALI, the city’s leading energy provider. We were very fortunate to meet with Ana Meneses and Luis Felipe Bryon at their headquarters. This was a great opportunity to discuss the social and economic issues facing development in the city and gain a better understanding of Cali’s culture.
Arriving in Colombia
The team have arrived safely in Colombia, ready for the first SDLAC workshop. We’re excited to meet the other teams for the first time and see what Cali has to offer. We will be keeping you updated via our social media feeds, so be sure to follow our progress! A perfectly timed trip to escape cold and rainy London. In addition to the workshop we also aim to gain a better understanding of the current social and economic issues within Cali and source potential funding partners.
Celebration Week
It’s Celebration Week here at The Cass, an opportunity for each of the Diploma in Architecture units to present their work to the rest of the year and a panel of visiting industry professionals. We were very pleased and proud to be able to discuss our entry into this years Solar Decathlon. The feedback we received was very positive and we hope it will have inspired others to join us.
Preparing for SDLAC Deliverable One
With deliverable number one quickly approaching, we’ve had to hit the ground running. Following the portfolio review the team has been working very hard to make the necessary alterations and further develop the urban masterplan, cluster, unit and prototype design.
Getting Started Again
With academic submissions done and dusted, we can now give Sol_ID our undivided attention. With an urban masterplan, cluster and unit design to develop, the team has been divided up, allowing us to work on all aspects simultaneously. With design team meetings happening all over The CASS, it’s certainly testing our team working skills!
CASS Submissions
The team have been working very hard over the last few weeks on the run up to academic submissions. It’s nice to see all our work collated to date. The portfolio review is a great opportunity for us to check our progress, refresh our memory after the holiday and evaluate how best to proceed.
Happy Heliomet New Year!
It’s our first week back after the Christmas break which means it’s our first design team meeting of 2015. With SDLAC now less than a year away, it’s time to get to work again!