Architecture

Italy/France's 100 percent solar home entry for the 2012 Solar Decathlon

Italy/France's 100 percent solar home entry for the 2012 Solar Decathlon
The modern Astonyshine design is focused around a freestone structure
The modern Astonyshine design is focused around a freestone structure
View 9 Images
The modern Astonyshine design is focused around a freestone structure
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The modern Astonyshine design is focused around a freestone structure
Astonyshine is a modern reinterpretation of the classic Mediterranean villa
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Astonyshine is a modern reinterpretation of the classic Mediterranean villa
The prototype will feature a concentrated solar system that combines photovoltaic and thermal technologies
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The prototype will feature a concentrated solar system that combines photovoltaic and thermal technologies
Astonyshine is a modern reinterpretation of the classic Mediterranean villa
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Astonyshine is a modern reinterpretation of the classic Mediterranean villa
The solar energy system is designed to meet all of the house's energy needs
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The solar energy system is designed to meet all of the house's energy needs
It's envisaged that the interior design would be made from recycled materials
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It's envisaged that the interior design would be made from recycled materials
A prototype of the Astonyshine home will be built during the final phase of the Solar Decathlon
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A prototype of the Astonyshine home will be built during the final phase of the Solar Decathlon
The modern Astonyshine design is focused around a freestone structure which offers promising sustainability and energy efficiency
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The modern Astonyshine design is focused around a freestone structure which offers promising sustainability and energy efficiency
The prototype will feature a concentrated solar energy system that combines photovoltaic and thermal technologies
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The prototype will feature a concentrated solar energy system that combines photovoltaic and thermal technologies
View gallery - 9 images

Italy and France have joined forces to create the "Astonyshine" 100 percent solar home concept as part of the 2012 Solar Decathlon Europe. The international competition is open to universities from around the globe and promotes research into the development of efficient housing. Astonyshine is a modern reinterpretation of the classic Mediterranean villa, and is the result of the combined efforts from Polytechnic of Bari (Italy), University of Ferrara (Italy), Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Architecture Paris-Malaquais (France) and Ecole des Ponts ParisTech (France).

The modern Astonyshine design is focused around a freestone structure, which is designed with sustainability and energy efficiency as prime considerations. The prototype will feature a concentrated solar power system that combines photovoltaic and thermal technologies. The system is designed to meet all of the house's energy needs, while offering higher efficiency and a lower price solution compared to the use of standard photovoltaic flat panels.

A prototype of the Astonyshine home will be built during the final phase of the Solar Decathlon
A prototype of the Astonyshine home will be built during the final phase of the Solar Decathlon

A prototype of the Astonyshine home will be built during the final phase of the Solar Decathlon in Madrid later this year, which will then be open to the public. The competition will see the construction of 20 prototypes from 15 different countries, namely Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, The United Kingdom, Romania, China, Japan, Brazil and Egypt.

More information on Astonyshine is available in the video below.

astonyshine SDE 2012

View gallery - 9 images
4 comments
4 comments
Michael Crumpton
While I think the engineering is brilliant and it looks intriguing from the air, the aesthetic design of the building has all the charm of a garage. Also I think that all the domes structures that they were showing were far more beautiful than the grid that they ended up with.
Carlos Grados
The roof is the most interesting part of the structure. I\'d like to learn more about that.
kuryus
I want a 2 story house that rotates to track the sun in winter and faces away from it in the summer. It wouldn\'t need to be able to rotate more than 360 degrees. The thermal mass would be in the masonry ground floor and in a 2 story cylinder of masonry in the center that remains stationary. I\'d have the bathroom and kitchen in the stationary section. I\'d have 3 parabolic collecters on the roof that each run a stirling cycle engine to power the appliances. PV panels would only be for lighting, electronics and ventilation fans.
Hemangini Chhatbar
brillient