Events
Wake Tech Architecture Students Win Design Award
Students Earn Distinction in Statewide Competition
RALEIGH, N.C. (May 9, 2011) - Four Architectural Technology students from Wake Technical Community College are celebrating their success this month in the 2011 North Carolina Sustainable Building Design Competition. Thomas Madre, Synthavanh Thompson, Felipe Tapia and Amilcar Garcia designed a cluster of affordable, "green" homes suitable for working families in downtown Raleigh. Their design earned third place honors in the statewide competition that included teams from both two and four-year institutions.
"We only have two years to prepare our students, so our program is rigorous," says Wake Tech instructor David Card. "We're thrilled to see their hard work paying off - and of course, extremely proud of how well they perform against students from four-year institutions."
The competition, sponsored by the North Carolina Solar Center, challenged student teams to design affordable and sustainable housing on an East Davie Street property owned by the non-profit organization Builders of Hope. The Wake Tech team spent two months designing their "Camden Community," a cluster of 13 energy-efficient homes ranging from 800 to 1,300 square feet. Their design included a community garden, an eco-friendly playground and rain barrels for water reuse. It followed North Carolina Building Code as well as development guidelines established by the City of Raleigh.
"This was the first time any of us had ever competed," said Wake Tech team member Thomas Madre. "It's a really good feeling to have done this well!"
Eleven teams competed in the event. NC State University students took first and second place; Wake Tech tied for third with Cape Fear Community College. Builders of Hope plans to use elements of the winning designs to build homes on the site. All four Wake Tech students will graduate this year with associate degrees in Architectural Technology.
