Watermark ID, the custom division of Watermark Designs, is providing resource-efficient materials to the City College of New York to use in its “Solar Roof Pod,” the school’s first entry in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2011 Solar Decathlon competition. Taking place in Washington, D.C. on September 23–October 2, 2011, the Solar Decathlon challenges 20 collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive.
Conceived and designed by a team of students from the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture and the Grove School of Engineering, the Solar Roof Pod is intended to be placed on underutilized rooftops of mid-sized residential or commercial buildings in urban settings. The 1,000-sq.-ft. structure is designed to provide excess solar energy to the building below, helping to supply hot water and powering high-efficiency lighting, appliances and air-conditioning systems.
The students asked Jack Abel, VP of Watermark ID and adjunct professor at City College, to make a contribution to their project, and he delivered a faucet (pictured) from Watermark Designs’ Titanium Collection, a thermostatic shower system and coordinating grab bars to for installation in the Solar Roof Pod.
“At Watermark ID, we have always believed in educating the next generation of architects, designers and mechanical engineers,” said Abel. “The Solar Roof Pod represents the philosophy behind what I teach my students—that you don’t have to sacrifice good design for sustainability. We are honored to be a part of the Solar Decathlon and can’t wait to see the prototype unveiled to the public on the National Mall, come September.”
