Right from the start of the Solar Decathlon Middle East, the Olympics of sustainable architecture, the Sapienza team attracted the attention of the judges with its Restart4Smart project, in collaboration with Forme d’Acqua.
The objective of the competition, which took place during Dubai Design Week, was to design and build the best prototype, in 1:1 scale, of the home of the future: ‘smart’, stylish, and powered entirely by solar energy.
21 universities from fifteen countries around the world participated in the event. The winning university was Virginia Tech, with a design for the home of the future that is not only enhanced with important innovations and home automation, but was also studied and designed to adapt to the climate of the United Arab Emirates.
Innovation and sustainability were at the foundation of the idea: the walls of the structure scroll on motorised tracks, thus modifying the size of the spaces, and the home is completely self-sustaining in terms of energy requirements thanks to its integrated system of solar panels.
Team Sapienza did very well as well, with five third places in the rankings (architecture, interior design, solar panel integration, communication, and sustainable transportation) and one second place (living functionality). Restart4SMart is a sustainable and ecological home characterised by Middle Eastern architectural elements, reinterpreted through the lens of Italian design.
A project realised in partnership with Forme d’Acqua and its interior fountain Flora from the Le Sirene collection. Placed in the home’s central patio, Flora captures the attention of visitors, helps to cool the space, and creates a relaxing environment with the sound of running water or by playing music through its HI-FI audio system.
