First Place in Architecture in the 2009 Solar Decathlon Competition
Oct 26, 2009
Washington, DC– Tampa, Florida-based Thermablok announces that Team California –
consisting of students from the California College of the Arts (CCA) and Santa Clara University
(SCU) – took top honors in the Architecture category of the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2009
Solar Decathlon competition in Washington, DC. SCU/CCA students’ Refract House featuring
Thermablok’s new “aerogel” insulating material placed third overall among 20 universities from
around the world all vying to design, construct and operate the most aesthetic, energy-efficient,
and self-sustaining solar-powered house.
Team California took the lead in the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon by winning
the architecture contest with a score of 98 out of a possible 100. A jury of professional
architects praised the Refract House, calling it “beautiful in every respect,” and applauding
Team California’s student architects and designers for its "excellent project documentation,
crystal-clear concept, and successful translation of regional architecture."
Thermablok® President and Founder Lahnie Johnson donated his new aerogel insulation which
uses technology developed in conjunction with NASA, to SCU/CCA’s refract House. Aerogel,
sometimes referred to as “frozen smoke”, has the highest insulating properties of any known
material in existence. While aerogel has been used extensively by NASA including the recent
Mars missions, until this recent breakthrough aerogel had not been easily adaptable to the
building industry.
Unsurpassed in its insulating properties, impervious to moisture and mold and unaffected by
age, Thermablok is a natural ingredient for a project like the Solar Decathlon. Energy-conscious
architects may soon be incorporating this latest answer to energy conservation and reducing
CO2 emissions. Just one, ¼-inch x 1½-inch (6.25mm x 38mm) strip of Thermablok added to
only one edge of each stud before hanging drywall breaks the conductive “thermal bridging” and
can increase the overall wall R-factor by more than 40 percent (US Department of Energy/JM
Laboratories.)
Consisting of more than 95-percent air, Thermablok is virtually weightless making it easy and
inexpensive to ship and install. Made in the USA, Thermablok is 100-percent recyclable and is
now available to the public for both commercial and residential building applications.
A prestigious international competition, the Solar Decathlon began in 2002 and is held every two
years. Originally earmarked for Architectural students, the competition has grown to include
Engineering, Arts & Sciences, Industrial Labor Relations, and students representing other
academic concentrations as well.
http://www.thermablok.com
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