ISAL Student Competitions

DEADLINE: June 1, 2015

Questions regarding this ISAL Student Competition should be submitted to isalconcurso@isalexpo.com. Responses will be provided within three business days.

Please note the following important dates for the ISAL Student Competition 2015 teams FOA:

• Issue date: Sept. 1, 2014
• Submission deadline: June 1, 2015, at 5 p.m. EST
• Expected notification date: July 14, 2015
• Expected timeframe for award negotiations: July 18 - July 31, 2015.

Like the Olympic decathlon, the ISAL Student Competition consists of 10 contests. These contests are designed to gauge how well the houses perform and how livable and affordable they are. Each contest is worth a maximum of 100 points, for a competition total of 1,000 points.

Teams can earn points three ways:

• Task completion: Teams complete household tasks such as cooking, washing dishes, and doing laundry.
• Monitored performance: Team houses perform to specified criteria, such as maintaining a comfortable (71°–76°F) indoor temperature range.
• Jury evaluation: Jurors who are experts in their field (such as architecture, engineering, and communications) award points for features that cannot be measured (such as aesthetics and design inspiration).

Contests based on task completion or monitored performance are called measured contests; contests based on jury evaluation are call juried contests.

Architecture Contest (juried) (100 points)

For the Architecture Contest of the ISAL Student Competition, teams are required to design and build attractive, high-performance houses that integrate solar and energy efficiency technologies seamlessly into the design.

A jury of professional architects focuses on:

• Architectural concept and design approach
• Does a clear concept guide the design process?
• Is there coherence among architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and landscaping elements?
• Does the design offer a sense of inspiration and delight?

Architectural implementation and innovation:

• Are the scale and proportion, indoor-outdoor connections, and composition effective?
• Is the design holistic and integrated? Will it be comfortable for occupants and compatible with the surrounding environment?
• Is the natural and electric lighting well-integrated? Are the lighted spaces rich and varied?
• Is quality demonstrated in material selection, detail, and implementation?
• Does the house reflect an innovative approach to residential architecture?

Documentation:

• Do the team drawings, construction specifications, and audiovisual presentation accurately reflect the constructed house?

Market Appeal Contest (juried) (100 points)

Each ISAL Student Competition team builds its house for a target client of its choosing. The Market Appeal jury, composed of professionals from the homebuilding industry, evaluates the responsiveness of the house design to the characteristics and requirements of that target client.

The jury considers:

• Livability
• Does the design offer a safe, functional, convenient, comfortable, and enjoyable place to live?
• Does it offer appropriate lighting, entertainment, and other controls?
• Does it meet the unique needs and desires of the target client?

Marketability:

• Does the house have interior and exterior appeal?
• Are the material, equipment, and detailing choices appealing?
• Do sustainability features and strategies contribute to the house's marketability?
• Is the house a good value for potential homebuyers?

Buildability:

• Do the drawings and construction specifications enable a contractor to generate an accurate construction cost estimate and then construct the house as it was intended it to be built?

Engineering Contest (juried) (100 points)

The ISAL Student Competition houses represent the best of modern engineering. For the Engineering Contest, a jury of professional engineers evaluates each house for:

Innovation:

• Are unique approaches used to solve design challenges?
• Do the innovations have market potential?
• Does the design demonstrate market-leading technologies and engineering integration?
• Functionality
• Do the house systems enhance occupant comfort and house performance?
• Does the HVAC system maintain uniform conditions via temperature control, humidity control, and air movement?
• Do the HVAC system and thermal envelope minimize energy use?

Efficiency:

• Is energy efficiency and overall system performance considered?
• Compared with typical systems, how much energy is the design expected to save over a year?
• Will controls help occupants reduce their energy consumption?
• Is the engineering approach effective, efficient, and practical?

Reliability:

• Does the design address maintenance and owner operation of house systems?
• How long are the systems expected to operate efficiently?

Documentation:

• Do the drawings, construction specifications, energy analysis results and discussion, and audiovisual presentation accurately reflect the constructed project?

Communications Contest (juried) (100 points)

From team websites to signage and public tours, the ISAL Student Competition, Communications Contest challenges teams to educate others about their houses, their experiences, and their projects.

A jury of communications professionals awards points for team communications efforts, including the quality, creativity, delivery, and innovation of their outreach documentation, on-site tours, and educational strategies.

The Communications Jury evaluates: 

Communications strategy:

• Is the communications strategy comprehensive, consistent, and integrated?
• Are the educational and outreach messages effective?

Electronic communications:

• How well does the team communicate its messages to online audiences?
• Is the team website logical, consistent, and enjoyable?
• Are social media used effectively?

Public exhibit materials:

• Do the signage and handout presented to visitors communicate the team's messages?
• Are the public exhibit materials creative, original, and informative ?
• Public exhibit presentation
• Is the house tour informative, interesting, and engaging?

Audiovisual presentation:

• Is the audiovisual presentation interesting and informative?
• How well does the presentation showcase the completed house?

Affordability Contest (juried) (100 points)

The ISAL Student Competition Affordability Contest encourages teams to design and build affordable houses that combine energy-efficient construction and appliances with renewable energy systems.

A professional estimator determines the construction cost of each house. Teams earn 100 points for achieving a target construction cost of $20,000 or less. A sliding point scale is then applied to houses with estimated construction costs between $20,000 and $40,000. Houses with estimated costs of $50,000 or more receive zero points.

Comfort Zone Contest (measured) (100 points)

For the ISAL Student Competition Comfort Zone Contest, teams design their houses to keep temperature and humidity steady, uniform, and comfortable. Full points are awarded for maintaining narrow temperature and relative humidity ranges during specified periods of time.

For full points, the houses have to maintain:

• Temperatures between 71°F (22.2°C) and 76°F (24.4°C)
• Relative humidity less than 60%. 
• The final data for the Comfort Zone contest are shown below. Roll over each graphic with your mouse for detailed measurement information. Click the team names in the legend to hide/show data for each team.

Appliances Contest (measured) (100 points)

The ISAL Student Competition Appliances Contest is designed to mimic the appliance use of an average U.S. home. Teams earn points for operating their refrigerator and freezer, washing and drying laundry, running the dishwasher, and simulating cooking. Full points are awarded for:

• Maintaining the refrigerator temperature between 34°F (1.11°C) and 40°F (4.44°C)
• Keeping the freezer temperature between -20°F (-28.9°C) and 5°F (-1.5°C)
• Washing a load of laundry within a specified period of time
• Returning a load of laundry to a total weight less than or equal to its total weight before washing using active or passive drying methods
• Running the dishwasher through a complete, uninterrupted cycle, at some point during which a temperature sensor placed in the dishwasher has to reach 120°F (48.9°C)
• Simulating cooking by using a kitchen appliance to vaporize 5 pounds (80 oz or 2.268 kg) of water within a specified period of time.

Home Life Contest (measured) (100 points)

The Home Life Contest in the ISAL Student Competition gauges whether a house has what it takes to be a home. How well does it accommodate the pleasures of living, such as sharing meals with friends and family, watching movies in a home theater, checking social media, and taking a warm shower?

Points are awarded for:

• Turning all lights on during specified time periods
• Producing 15 gallons (56.8 l) of hot water (110°F/43.3°C) from the shower in 10 minutes or less at several times over the competition
• Operating and television and computer during specified time periods
• Hosting two dinner parties for neighbors
• Hosting a movie night for neighbors.

Peoples Choice Award (measured) (100 points)

Each registered participant of ISAL, is given teh opportunity for a single vote.

Energy Balance Contest (measured) (100 points)

For the Energy Balance Contest of the ISAL Student Competition, each team house is equipped with a bidirectional utility meter that enables competition organizers to measure the energy the house produces and consumes over the course of the competition. The contest is divided into two subcontests, energy production and energy consumption, each of which is worth 50 points.

For energy production, a team receives full points for producing at least as much energy as its house needs, thus achieving a net energy consumption of zero during the competition. This is accomplished by balancing production and consumption. Reduced points are earned for a net electrical energy balance between -50 kWh and 0 kWh.

For energy consumption, a team receives full points for using 175 kWh of energy or less over the competition. Reduced points are earned for consumption between 175 kWh and 300 kWh.

Source: CVENT

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