The ZEROW HOUSE is Rice Universitys entry in the 2009 Solar Decathlon. The Rice Solar Decathlon team is a student-led project between the Rice Schools of Architecture and Engineering. Members of our team have been preparing for the 2009 Decathlon since January 2006, and we are proud to be the only team to represent the state of Texas in the 2009 competition.

After the competition, the ZEROW will be transported back to Houstons Third Ward community after the competition in October, where Project Row Houses will operate it as affodable housing in the neighborhood.
The ZEROW HOUSE adopts the row-house typology, specific to the urban fabric of Houstons Third Ward community, as a primary precedent. Our design addresses the small size and limited budget of typical row houses through replication, innovative use of current technologies, local materiality, and an understanding of life-cycle costs. The ZEROW HOUSE will be able to produce all the energy needed for its operation on-site, using a photovoltaic array and solar hot water system to collect solar energy.