perFORM[D]ance House

For the building industry, adopting practices that conserve, protect, and limit the burden placed on our ecosystems has become a matter of urgent necessity. In the fall of 2009, a multi-disciplinary team of faculty and students at Florida International University applied to the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for an opportunity to compete in the fifth biannual Solar Decathlon. They sought to create a shapeshifting, solar-powered house that visibly performed in real time: The FIU perFORM[D]ance House noticeably registered and responded to the generation and acquisition of energy, as well as to its expenditure through daily use.