Students and faculty of Ball State University’s College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) have been in the process of developing a net-zero energy family house on the near-eastside as part of the Solar Decathlon Build Challenge (SDBC) conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy. As part of the project, students will design and build a net-zero energy home in the Englewood neighborhood in partnership with Englewood Community Development Corporation. With faculty guidance, CAP students have developed their projects as teams and presented their homes to their peers and community members alike.
Maintaining the tradition of the near eastside, this project has made a great effort to engage with the community and utilize feedback from neighbors. By engaging with both Englewood Community Development Corporation and the Near Eastside Quality of Life Plan, the Solar Decathlon has supported the needs of this historic, yet evolving community.
Concerning the project timeline, students are currently in the design phase, which began in the Fall semester of 2021 and will continue through the Spring of 2022. Following this phase, the Solar Decathlon will hold a competition event from April 22 through the 24th. The Build phase will begin shortly after, spanning from the Summer of 2022 to the Spring semester of 2023.