The weeks leading up to the installation near the Mall in Washington DC were some of the longest work weeks of my life (this is coming from some one who has been in the construction industry professionally for a number of years prior to enrolling at the Southern California Institute of Architecture, SCI-Arc). This being an unprecedented experience, I was unsure of what to expect, especially after the grueling past weeks. Seven days to fully assemble a house containing a number of elements that had yet to be completely realized is a daunting task, especially with a crew of students. Though seasoned by six months of intense construction experience (our team built the house with almost no subcontracting) it was unclear how things would unfold in West Potomac Park. As the four trucks carrying the modules traveled across the country our team filtered into the capital eager and anxious to begin assembly.

In design school a student spends so much time designing and redesigning each project that the scope of work involved in actual construction is well beyond his or her comprehension. Though the Solar Decathlon (through October 2) project lacks much of the organizational and bureaucratic complexity of a “real” architectural project, it remains filled with many of its own unique challenges.

Internally, organizing 40 students from two separate schools on a single project is no small task. Externally, handling the sponsors, donors, consultants, media, and all the logistics involved with transporting a home across the country can get complex quickly and if not organized will lead to failure. Every team faces these challenges, of course, and their respective solutions are woven into the project early on. Being from SCI-Arc, I can only comment on our experience, which I suspect is unique, due to the small size of the SCI-Arc / Caltech facilities. The challenge, then, must be handled by the students in tandem with the design and construction of the project. The ability of our team to self-organize and to adapt is something we’re immensely proud of.

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