The Evolution of Design Process - Sustainable Design: The Science of Sustainability and Green Engineering - page 18

The Home Depot Smart Home at Duke University: Energy Models, Feasibility
Models, and Iterative Design
“One of the major missions of the Smart Home is the focus on energy efficiency and sustainable living.”
—Tim Gu, Undergraduate Student, Duke U. and Smart Home President

The Home Depot Smart Home at Duke University is a 6000-ft 2 residential dormitory and technology
research laboratory operated by the Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University.
During the design development phase of the Home Depot Smart Home at Duke University, it was
very important to the team to select an overall building design that was efficient to heat and cool. To
achieve this end, three models were conceived of, each highlighting different design concepts attractive to
the team (see Fig. SH1.1).

PHASE I FEASIBILITY DESIGNS
2 HOUSES
COURTYARD
BERM

PHASE I FEASIBILITY DESIGNS
2 HOUSES
COURTYARD
BERM

PHASE I FEASIBILITY DESIGNS
2 HOUSES
COURTYARD
BERM

Figure SH1.1

Model: Two Houses. Designed to blend with the size of the other local houses but to provide the
increased square footage needed by the program for a 10-student occupancy.
Model: Courtyard. Designed around the idea of having a large amount of public outdoor space available
for program use. The building was built around an open area in the center.
Model: Berm. Designed around the idea of having a large, south-facing test platform for experimen-
tation with various types of solar power and heating technologies.

After all the models were created, they were each evaluated for their theoretical heating and cooling
loads over the course of a year (see Fig. SH1.2). The design elements with the best energy perfor-
mance synthesized into three more designs, each superior to the others. Those designs were then built into