Bringing Home the Trophies!

By Matthew Ramon

Members of teamMADE celebrating together after the conclusion of the Closing Ceremony of the OC Sustainability Decathlon.

There’s plenty to be grateful for this holiday season, especially for the members of teamMADE!

We are back from a hectic two weeks at the OC Sustainability Decathlon, where we made it big, and I mean, BIG! In this article, we’ll give an overview of where we placed in the competition but be sure to stick around till the end to see how you can help spread the holiday spirit.

Opening Day arrives as Work continues on the two UCI team homes at the Sustainability decathlon at the OC Fairgrounds. photo: Steve Zylius/UCI

Contest 1: Sustainability and Resilience – 2nd Place

Contest 2: Architecture and Interior Design – 3rd Place

Contest 3: Engineering and Construction – 1st Place

Contest 4: Communications and Marketing – 3rd Place

Contest 5: Market Potential – 1st Place

Contest 6: Innovation – 3rd Place

Contest 7: Energy Efficiency – 1st Place (tie)

Contest 8: Water Use and Conservation – 2nd Place

Contest 9: Health and Comfort – 3rd Place

Contest 10: Lighting and Appliances

Conclusion: Overall – 2nd Place

**Contest 1: Sustainability and Resilience – 2nd Place**

Contest 1 measured how well the various parts of the home – from architectural design to engineering systems – all worked together to minimize our home’s environmental impact.

The jurors saw our commitment to sustainable construction in many aspects of luminOCity: its high insulation values, energy-efficient heating/cooling, and use of state-of-the-art systems. They especially saw the potential for our FrameCAD steel in producing low-waste and recyclable materials for rapid-construction of homes.

Contest 2: Architecture and Interior Design – 3rd Place

Contest 2 is as you see: a measurement of our ability to deliver exceptional aesthetics and functionality through architecture.

The judges were enamored with our perforated shade screen which dominated the visual character of luminOCity. Also impressive was our high availability of natural light and potential of our native California landscaping. And most importantly, the jury found our balancing of the constraints of our client, HIS-OC, and the constraints set by the decathlon organizers to be admirable.

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Contest 3: Engineering and Construction – 1st Place

Aptly named, Contest 3 scored the merit and implementation of our engineering design as well as the workmanship of our construction team.

Sophisticated – novel – thoughtful. These are just some of the words given in praise to our team. The judges were in love with our use of innovative steel framing, novel phase change material, and or deliverance of exceptional indoor air quality. And again, they too were enthusiastic about how all of these systems work with the needs of a real client.

teamMADE couldn’t be more proud of this accomplishment!

**Contest 4: Communications and Marketing – 3rd Place**

Scoring the team’s ability to successfully communicate and market the story of our home – who it’s for, how it’s made, and ultimately, why it’s valuable.

Our strong story about teamMADE’s support for HIS-OC shown through to the jury and set us apart from the other teams. Equally important were our logo and visuals – which unified our online image, helping to further develop our brand.

However, the great lynchpin that carried us through were our team members -who expertly represented our project.

We’re ecstatic that the bond our team had between our faculty advisors and students was evident to everyone who visited us.

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**Contest 5: Market Potential – 1st Place**

Rounding out our second 1st place award, Contest 5 evaluated our team’s potential to deliver a sustainable product that can positively impact California’s housing market within the next 5-10 years.

At the end of the day, the baked-in modularity of luminOCity won over the judges. The resulting inherent flexibility enables our product to meet a wide variety of market niches and economic realities. Not to mention the cost-reduction that comes with using the FrameCAD system. And with a real client and a wide amount of sponsors at all parts of the supply chain, the jury felt safe in our ability to make a positive impact on the market.

So, again, thank you to all our project sponsors!

**Contest 6: Innovation – 3rd Place**

The last of the juried competitions, Contest 6 considered how well our team did in pushing the boundaries and delivering new and unique ideas for addressing California’s housing crisis and climate change.

The FrameCAD steel system proved to be a favorite for the judges in all of the categories – allowing homes to be constructed on site affordably, and sustainably. Of course, our integration of existing technologies in delivering exceptional air quality did not go unnoticed.

It’s been said before, but a huge contribution to our ability to generate unique ideas came from the collaboration between the various programs at Orange Coast College and UC Irvine. Our placement here stands as a testament to the need for diversity in all its forms.

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**Contest 7: Energy Efficiency – 1st Place (tie)**

Based on whether our team could design a home with a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index of 40 or lower, that is, a home that uses 60% less energy than a standard home.

This award was a tie between Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Northridge, Long Beach State, Rancho Cielo, UC Irvine Engineering, UC San Diego/Zhejiang Normal University, UC Santa Cruz, and us. Having the opportunity to meet and tour the homes of all the other teams, teamMADE couldn’t be happier seeing the creativity and passion on display from our fellow decathletes.

**Contest 8: Water Use and Conservation – 2nd Place**

Similar to Contest 7, this contest weighed our ability to develop a home with the lowest HERSH2O Index possibly, with a max Index of 40. Essentially, this contest considers the water efficiency of our home.

TeamMADE’s placement in this category came down to the expert engineering systems we installed in luminOCity. And while we couldn’t connect luminOCity to a water main at the OC Fairgrounds, the judges were confident that the heat pump water heater, hot water recirculation pump, and motion-activated sink could all work in conjunction with low-flow fixtures to deliver fantastic results.

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**Contest 9: Health and Comfort – 3rd Place**

Contest 9 was a demonstration that all of our systems were fully operational.

While luminOCity wasn’t able to get running water set up in time for the decathlon, all of our electrical devices were able to function as intended, earning us a very respectable 3rd place. It truly was amazing seeing the first time the mini-split system turned on and connecting our phones to the smart fridge and lights.

We even had a functioning oven which was field-tested as we made pretzels and other food to celebrate our accomplishments!

Contest 10: Lighting and Appliances

Contest 10 considered whether or not our lighting system components, appliances, and other electrical systems were installed and worked per our construction documents.

Unfortunately, this was the only category teamMADE wasn’t able to make the top 3. But while we didn’t make it to the top, this doesn’t make LuminOCity or any of our other accomplishments any less valuable. Maybe we’ll make up for it at the next Decathlon!

Congratulations to Rancho Cielo, Cal Poly Pomona, and UC Santa Cruz for making the podium! If you couldn’t make it to the event, we can confidently say that each of their homes were a sight to see and visit. We highly encourage you to go and learn more about their teams and projects!

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Conclusion: Overall – 2nd Place

A collection of all our awards sitting together inside teamMADE’s luminOCity home at the OC Fairgrounds.

Here at the end, teamMADE is ecstatic to announce that we placed 2nd place overall. Many members of the team can vouch for the long hours and the hard work that beset us over these past two years, but seeing it all come together has been unforgettable.

This achievement belongs to the students, faculty, staff, and project sponsors who came together to contribute to the project. While not every student was able to join us during the whole journey, we hope that they know that this achievement could not have been possible without every little bit of support.

teamMADE hopes that you are still willing to stick with us and reach the ultimate goal and purpose of this endeavor – a sustainable and functional ADU that will support the Transitional Aged Youth (TAY) Housing Program with HIS-OC in Placentia, CA.

The good news is that we’re almost there! luminOCity is currently located in a local parking lot in Placentia and we just need additional financial support to get it into the backyard of the TAY house.

Visit teammade.eng.uci.edu or his-oc.org to learn more about how you can give this holiday season.

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