The Criteria
The competition will be judged on the following criteria:
- Quality of the re-skinning
- Energy efficiency
- Design aesthetics
- Return on investment
- Scalability
- Use of information technologies—Is the building smart?
- Social benefits accruing from the retrofit
Building Type
The building must be of reinforced concrete construction, be built between 1945 and 1990, and must have a minimum of 150 units or 150,000 square feet of floor space. All the energy required to power household amenities, cool, heat, and light the building must be provided on a net zero basis. Possible onsite energy systems can include wind, solar, bio-fuel cells (from occupant produced organic waste), hydrogen cells, etc. Energy must be produced by devices located within the building and its adjoining property, and cannot be powered by fuel brought to the building. The building can contribute excess energy to the grid and, when necessary, access an equivalent amount, but no more.
Building intelligence technologies like communications, systems monitoring, Internet connections, fire alarms, etc., can have continuous access to emergency power from external sources for safety and back-up reasons. The building can be connected to the municipal water supply for fire protection and fresh water, but an equivalent amount must be provided in gray water and/or rainwater.