UF students built a house, tore it down and are now building it again.
A team of 31 UF students constructed the solar-powered house to compete with 19 universities from around the world in the Solar Decathlon Europe competition in Spain.
The project was led by the Rinker School of Building Construction and the College of Journalism and Communications.
Eleven students are in Spain reconstructing the house for the competition, which will be held from June 18 to June 27 in Madrid. The other 20 students will arrive later this week to finish the details of the house, said Paige Mainor, a team member.
The 800-square-foot house was built at the UF Solar Energy Park in Gainesville with help of more than 125 UF students from four colleges, said Kathryn Watson, a communications director for the project.
In April, the house was dismantled and shipped in five containers to Madrid, where some of the students began reconstruction, said Maruja Torres-Antonini, the project's co-principal investigator.
During the competition, contestants will be judged in 10 categories, ranging from architectural quality to comfort levels. There is no monetary prize, but winners will receive "eternal glory," along with honor and positive attention for their school, Watson said.
The construction of the house built in Gainesville cost less than $500,000, Torres-Antonini said. Student Government also donated $7,200 in April to the group so more students could make the trip, according to Alligator archives.
After the competition, the house will be disassembled and shipped back to Gainesville. It will then become a permanent display at the Florida Museum of Natural History.
