The European Solar Decathlon: Our Favorites

Modeled after the U.S. Department of Energy sponsored Solar Decathlon, the European Solar Decathlon is a competition for seventeen teams from different academic institutions to create the most efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly solar-powered house.

The designs are pretty interesting, and we’ve complied our favorites, from an aesthetic point of view, below.  Since the competition only began yesterday, this is pretty much the only thing you can judge them on.  The American version of the competition lasts for three weeks.

The houses we found most visually interesting can be broken up into three groups:

Chinese Houses That Look Like Houses

• Tianjin University’s Sunflower House

• Tongji University’s Bamboo (literally) House

Spanish Houses That Look Like Stereos

• Universidad de Valladolid’s entry

• Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera Valencia’s SMLHOUSE

German Houses That Look Like The Vietnam Memorial Wall

• Fachhochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft’s Living Equia House

All pics from Inhabit.

(via /.)