Author Archives: maggie haslam

STUDENT INTERVIEW: Jeff Rappaport – Engineering

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Photo of team member applying liquid applied barrier to the house

Jeff Rappaport, Team Member, Applying Liquid Barrier to WaterShed
Photo Credit: Aditya Gaddam

Jeff Rappaport is looking at a jam-packed fall semester; entering his junior year at Maryland, he not only faces a full course load, he has the little matter of an international solar competition to contend with. One of a handful of students who was involved in WaterShed from the very beginning, Jeff will be spending whatever free time he can find at Potomac Park in downtown Washington, finishing what he helped start.

One of the things that sparked Jeff’s interest in the Solar Decathlon was his family’s choice to “go solar” a few years ago, adding solar panels to the roof of their home in Olney, Maryland. Pursuing a degree in bioengineering, Jeff is a key member of WaterShed’s engineering team. During the planning stage, he oversaw the energy modeling for WaterShed, determining ideal envelope constructions, shading devices, window placement, and the sizes of the PV and HVAC systems. He is currently devoting most of his time to the liquid desiccant system, which will help cut humidity and cool WaterShed during the warm weather months. Jeff shares his thoughts on his WaterShed experience so far.

What has been your personal WaterShed moment so far?
JR: The arrival of the modules on site was huge. After a year of work, watching the first pieces of the house craned into place on the job site was very fulfilling.

Who have you valued working with/learning from on this project?
JR: Our mentors have been invaluable to the whole team and me personally. Specifically I’ve spent a lot of time working with Dr. (Keith) Herold (Assoc. Professor of Engineering). This project has been a crash course in sustainable construction – I have felt in over my head at times. Our mentors have done a great job keeping us on track and have been an invaluable source of information on seemingly any aspect of the project I’ve needed advice on.

Has working on WaterShed influenced your career path?
JR: It has not necessarily influenced my career path, but with all the construction experience I’ve picked up, I’m really interested in buying a rundown house and rehabbing it into a green home.

When people come to visit WaterShed on the Mall in September, what do you hope they will take away from the experience?
JR: I hope people will see how much more efficiently homes can be built. From simply using more energy-efficient lights and appliances to building a home from scratch with thicker insulation, there are many options out there for how to “green” a home on any budget. And with all the incentives out there, even expensive additions like a PV array can be cost-effective.

What do you always have with you on the job site?
JR: A water bottle and a peanut butter sandwich.

How do you spend your time when you’re not working on WaterShed?
JR: I try to get sleep when I can, otherwise I can be found at Home Depot.

STUDENT INTERVIEW: Zachary Klipstein – Architecture

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Photo of team member in the house while it is under construction

Zachary Klipstein, Team Member, in WaterShed While Under Construction
Photo Credit: Amy Gardner

Zach Klipstein has been working with his hands for as long as he can remember. He has a list a mile long of projects he’s worked on with his dad in his hometown of Cumberland, Maryland: from building a garage to fixing the car, to modifying an old lawnmower. Over the years, his parents have been an endless source of encouragement, teaching him to trust his intuition, problem solve, use his creativity, and build. So it’s no wonder that Zach, who is pursuing his Master in Architecture (’12), is an integral part of the WaterShed team.

Zach has been working on WaterShed since the late summer of 2010. While he has been involved in much of the exterior building of the house, he is master of the pergola – the outdoor structure that shelters WaterShed’s garden deck – painstakingly designing and planning the exterior rooms that will provide the homeowner with many years of enjoyment. He has also been very involved in the design of the custom furniture built just for WaterShed. This includes a bed that doubles as a conference table, the perfect complement to WaterShed’s live/work environment. Regardless of the project, Zach has thrived on the design process and has enjoyed tackling the changes and challenges of Maryland’s Solar Decathlon entry. Below Zach talks about the design process, must-haves on the job site (there are many), and the life-changing experience of WaterShed.

What has been your personal WaterShed moment so far?
ZK: When we first started drafting the plans for WaterShed, numerous designs were drawn and thought through and drawn again. It was not until we actually went to build some things that the true problem-solving skills came into play. Frankly, numerous things that were drawn had to be reworked in the field to accommodate a design, aesthetic, or functional change and the ability of one to be able to think on the spot of how to solve a problem is key. Seeing how this process works in my field was very rewarding and an excellent experience for my future career as an architect.

Talk about an unexpected, amazing, frightening, or unlikely experience while working on WaterShed…
ZK: The day the pergola frame arrived was a very rewarding and amazing experience. It was also very frightening too because I was paranoid that something was measured wrong or the frame would not fit, but rest assured, everything was good and ran smoothly.

It’s important to mention that without the help of our mentors we would not even come close to being able to pull off this venture. Our team would be at a loss without their knowledge, skill, and patience. The learning opportunity has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will carry with me into the professional design field.

What has been your most important learning experience on the project?
ZK: For most of us on the team, I feel that the opportunity to take an idea – a concept of a house as an ecosystem that functions as a vessel to promote the conservation of water and turning it into a tangible structure that you can touch, feel, smell, and inhabit – says it all. As a team we took an idea that was drawn on a piece of paper and turned it into this amazing piece of architecture. Most professionals cannot say they have touched as many aspects of a project as each student has on WaterShed. The educational experience is invaluable.

Has working on WaterShed influenced your career path?
ZK: It has always been my dream to design structures that incorporate sustainable technologies into the very first parts of the design process. This project has only emphasized this goal. I intend to start a design/build firm that does just that as soon as a pass all of my architecture registration exams.

When people come to visit WaterShed on the Mall in September, what do you hope they will take away from the experience?
ZK: In my eyes, it is our main goal to educate the public about water and how much of a precious resource it really is. While it is true the competition is primarily geared towards a solar audience, we have taken it upon ourselves to not only satisfy this aspect of the competition but to also incorporate the water conservation idea into our concept as well. We hope the public takes advantage of the knowledge they can obtain from our findings and use it to improve the way they live.

What do you always have with you on the job site?
ZK: Pair of Klein tools 6” needle-nose pliers, Stanley Bostitch nail set, various Estwing hammers, windowbar, 1” Stanley Chisel, Stanley tape measure, a carpenters pencil, my old and faithful red camouflage Maryland hat (it really needs washing), numerous articles of Carhartt merchandise, a positive attitude, an empty wallet, and a pocket Bible (that I need to read more often).

STUDENT INTERVIEW: Isabel Enerson – Environmental Science

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Photo of team leader Isabel Enerson tending to plants in the greenhouse

Team Leader Isabel Enerson Tending to Plants in the Greenhouse
Photo Credit: Scott Tjaden

When visitors file through WaterShed at the Solar Decathlon this fall, they probably won’t know the informative and well-orchestrated tour highlighting the many features of the house was a months-long odyssey for Isabel Enerson. Or that the beautiful plantings were lovingly raised from infancy for months under Isabel’s care. Both are examples of the behind-the-scenes detail that defines WaterShed, and the work of students like Isabel.

An Environmental Science and Technology major with a passion for both education and ecological design, Isabel has been wearing two very important hats on this project: educational guide coordinator and living systems team member. The educational component stretches to include outreach to high schools and campus groups, but the lion’s share of the work is the preparation of materials, tour guide training, and scheduling of what will be a jam-packed 10 days on the National Mall. Isabel does leave time to get her hands dirty; using her knowledge in environmental science, she was involved in the wetland design and championed nutrient cycling for the living systems team. Below she talks about the value of both her teammates and good soil.

What has been your personal WaterShed moment so far?
IE: I think one of the most rewarding experiences has been the process – which may seem like a total cop out, but it’s the first thing I think of. There is something amazing about having an idea turn into a design and then a reality. For me the most physical reality was the greenhouses; we started with tiny plugs and seeds in the early spring and now have hundreds of full-grown plants.

Talk about an unexpected, amazing, frightening, or unlikely experience while working on WaterShed…
IE: I don’t think there are many other projects where you’d find mud-covered co-workers jamming out to techno while repotting plants at 1 am.

What’s an aspect of the project you value most?
IE: I value the interdisciplinary aspect of this project the most. It is truly invaluable to be able to understand how to work with engineers and architects, some of whom seem to speak a language unto themselves before you crack the code. Fenestration?! “Efficiency, no problem – our LDW, ERV, and Mini Splits will keep you comfy with minimal energy use!” Wait, my WHAT? A year later I find myself tossing these terms into conversations with my friends and family only to meet some seriously quirked eyebrows. However, it’s bigger than that because working with peers, professors, and professionals outside of your expertise allows you to understand how different components interrelate – plus you meet some pretty interesting, passionate, and intelligent folks!

Has working on WaterShed influenced your career path?
IE: It has reinforced my desire to enable communities to become sustainable. I’m still working on the how, but I’m considering more design-related fields after my involvement in this project. I also really love the educational aspect of communication – which is no new revelation – but this project has been an interesting exercise in educating about something YOU have designed and built where suddenly every detail is important and it seems impossible to leave out.

When people come to visit WaterShed on the Mall in September, what do you hope they will take away from the experience?
IE: EVERYTHING! Okay, that was a little over exuberant, but I really hope our house provides an ah ha moment for our visitors. “Ah ha”… we ARE part of the environment. “Ah ha”… it is possible to be sustainable and have a gorgeous house. “Ah ha”… plants can do a lot more than look pretty. “Ah ha”… small can be spacious. “Ah ha”… alternate energy can be ample. “Ah ha”… I can try x in my home or lifestyle! If WaterShed can serve as the catalyst for just one person to have any of these realization and act on it I’d be quite happy.

What do you always have with you on the job site?
IE: Hmm, I’m just going to switch out “job site” with “greenhouse” and say a box cutter, those things are insanely useful!

Countdown to Competition: a Look Back at the 2011 Evolution of WaterShed

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Building a carbon neutral, state-of-the-art, solar-powered house is not for the faint of heart. It takes a vast and varied team of talented individuals unified with a common goal to create and build something that inspires and educates people about the beauty and simplicity of living with the planet in mind. With most of the planning behind them, 2011 was all about bringing Team Maryland’s vision to life. Here’s a six-month look back at the evolution of WaterShed.

Photo of house framing arriving on a flat bed truck

WaterShed's Framing Completed in Factory
Photo Credit: Amy Gardner

AT LAST, THE MODULES ARRIVE (March)
The warmer weather of spring brought a flurry of activity to the WaterShed construction site. After a winter assembly in Pennsylvania, the shed modules arrived to the site by truck and were craned into place to the sound of cheers from WaterShed team members. Sponsored by Maryland Custom Builders, Inc. and ProBuilt Homes, the March module arrival marked a major turning point in the construction process, transforming a year’s worth of planning into reality.

Photo of Mike Binder and Isaac Williams at WaterShed Studio Review

Mike Binder and Isaac Williams at WaterShed Review
Photo Credit: Amy Gardner

SHED-RAISING (April)
With the outer envelope of the house in place by early April, the team began the installation of house systems. What was once a sketch on paper was now taking shape, and the occasion was marked on April 7th with an official “ShedRaising.” On hand to see the unveiling were David Cronrath, Dean of the School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation; Darryll Pines, Dean of the Clark School of Engineering; University President Wallace Loh; and Dr. Richard King, US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Director. The event celebrated the work already competed, the people who lent their support, materials and know-how, and also served as a peprally for the coming months of round-the-clock work.

Photo of David Daily Drilling

David Daily Drilling
Photo Credit: Jeff Gipson

BUILD, BABY, BUILD (MAY AND JUNE)
There is no rest for the weary, especially when you have a solar house to build on a concrete timeline. With the ink still wet on their final exams, the team continued full bore on construction, often working more than full-day stretches, seven days a week. Since the modules’ arrival, the crew has taken one official day off: appropriately, Independence Day.

Within a matter of weeks, installation of exterior doors and windows, translucent wall panels, interior walls, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems began. Exterior siding was being prepped and stained. With framing and close-inspections achieved, the team was able to continue forward. Vegetation, which had been nurtured from seed for months, was starting to look recognizable. And as the temperature started to soar on the construction site, the team sought respite in their water bottles and brief breaks in the air-conditioned trailer.

Picture of finishing the WaterShed envelope

Finishing the WaterShed Envelope
Photo Credit: Jeff Gipson

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS (JULY AND AUGUST)
Gradually, the house’s exterior elements were added. With framing and close-in inspections behind them, the team moved on to insulation, drywall, and painting. Big installation days included the arrival of the PV panels, as well as the green roof, which was installed on a sweltering day in early July. WaterShed’s pergola, which will support some of the beautiful home-grown vegetation, as well as the constructed wetlands, were also starting to take shape. Behind the scenes, many of the houses unique and intricate systems were being perfected and tested, such as the interior liquid desiccant waterfall.

Communications and marketing efforts shifted into high gear. The team headed back to the classroom to finalize the tour route, design house signage, and fine-tune WaterShed’s message. The steady trickle of reporters to the construction site provided a dry run for students and faculty to practice their messaging for the competition. July also witnessed the creation of architecture, engineering, marketability, and general tour videos by the team. Transformed momentarily into a finished home, the house and its landscapes hinted at the stunning and sustainable home thousands would come to see on the National Mall in September.

Photo of Veronika Zhiteneva Installing Green Roof

Veronika Zhiteneva Installing Green Roof
Photo Credit: Jeff Gipson

ONWARD, TEAM WATERSHED:
It hasn’t all been rosy; 70 mile an hour winds, late or missing deliveries, and elements that required several attempts to get it just right, the team has occasionally been put to the test. But with just over 30 days until the decathlon opening ceremony, the team continues to push themselves to the finish line, now finally in sight. In a few days, the dis-assembly process will begin as they prepare the house to be shipped to the competition site. On September 13th, the house will be loaded onto flatbeds, taking a short but slow drive down to Potomac Park on the National Mall. It’s there that team WaterShed will complete their mission of sharing their ideals and ideas about the future of sustainable living. Best said by Amy Gardner, Principal Investigator, at the ShedRaising, “We intend to take first place, but more importantly we intend to change the way people live on this planet.”