admin | LISI | HOUSE OF THE SOLAR DECATHLON TEAM AUSTRIA

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The construction at LISI’s new home in the ‚Blaue Lagune‘ is entering the final week. In just a couple of days, the winner of the Solar Decathlon 2013 will be open to the public. While the days are getting shorter, working hours are increasing as former decathletes hustle to finish the house on time. The ramp has been replaced by a landing stage which connects LISI safely to the shore and lets visitors easily enter the building. The terrace is also being adjusted to the new underconstruction; a final cut is being made. We can’t wait to show LISI to our friends and family next week.

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The underconstruction of LISI's terrace is being displayed.

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Decathlete Wolfgang is inspecting the construction. He seems calm.

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Decathlete Adrian is cutting a piece of construction wood. There's saw dust in the air.

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The new landing stage is being installed using a crane. It connects LISI with the shore.

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Decathlete Claus is having a laugh as he connects the landing stage.

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Decathlete Philipp disconnects the cranes chains from the wood.

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All of the plumbing and electrical wiring is hidden in the ramp connected to the house.

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Progress at the construction site is great and things are moving along quite well. Since this is not the first (nor second) time LISI has been constructed, many grips have been made before and were definitely not new to us. Having more time to build LISI this time, compared to nine dense days in California, is a relieve for everyone involved. At this point, it is important to mention Josko as well as Weissenseer nonetheless, since they have been a huge support of LISI and Team Austria not only before and during the competition, but even during the reconstruction of LISI over the past couple of weeks. Thank you!

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Windows are slowly lifted onto the swimming plattform.

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Decathlete Wolfgang is unrolling the hydro barrier.

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Decathlete Sigrid is at position, checking with team mates.

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The first roof module is being lifted from the container. 8 long months.

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Another roof module is hovering over the pond.

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After a rather long hibernation period – in which we minimally adapted LISI’s plans to Austrian conditions and her future site – the day of rebuilding the winner of the Solar Decathlon 2013 drew nearer. We always knew, LISI had to be displayed in a place where she would have the most impact, raise awareness on solar houses and quite possibly meet potential customers. One location that came to mind was the ’Blaue Lagune’ (”Blue Lagoon”), a model home village just south of Vienna. LISI would be presented in a new dedicated ’Architecture and Innovation’ area, a place where one would find not only information on LISI, but also on all things regarding the Decathlon and solar building.
In keeping the spirit of the competition alive and focusing on the category ’innovation’, we decided to reconstruct LISI as a swimming house ON a lake in the lagoon. This of course meant a huge change and adaption in the entire base construction; LISI would no longer be connected to the ground but be placed on swimming pontoons, keeping her afloat. Since this would be a risky undertaking with the possibility of placing the entire house under water, we decided to get some professional help. Marine architect, Paul Schöpf, was able to create and patent wooden pontoons that could easily carry LISI. A minimized weight is the result, further optimizing the entire construction, but the true clue with these special pontoons lies within their material. Since they are entirely made of wood, LISI is able to extend her core principles to this new foundation with the help of timber-construction company Haslacher. Even if we will not beat the Californian record of eight days construction period this time, we are registering a steady progress on the new, wet construction site.

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The pontoons are being lifted from the truck.

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Decathlete Wolfgang is paddling on a pontoon. He is using a piece of wood.

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Another pontoon is lifted and gliding over the water.

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The construction placed on top of the pontoons is made of wood.

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Decathlete Sigrid is pulling the crane girder.

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The kitchen core was placed onto the pontoons and all decathletes are cheering.

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The bathroom core is also lifted onto the wooden pontoons. Decathletes gather and hope it wont sink.

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Decathlete Sigrid is checking if the main core will fit.

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Check this out! Decathlete Adrian is taking a dive from the top of the main core into the lake.

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In the early spring of 2014, Festool has invited Team Austria to join them in Salzburg for a presentation of their new products as well as their brand new Austrian headquarters. Also on-site were journalists from various Austrian timber construction magazines, eager to learn more about Festool, as well as LISI and Team Austria’s victory in California.
Located in the neatly renovated courtyard of Castle Glanegg just South of Salzburg, the workshop lasted for two days. After a detailed company presentation, in which the students were able to get to know their sponsor – be it their universal selling proposition of their products or the company’s family history – we were toured through the educational rooms. What we witnessed here was “top notch” to say the least. Anybody receiving an introduction into the world of Festool in these rooms can truly call themselves lucky. This was reason enough to be excited about the following day, since we would be able to test new 2014 products. Yet, before we called it a night, decathletes presented the LISI house to their sponsor and the ladies and gentlemen of the press. The day ended with an extended WhoisWho dinner at a nice restaurant.
The second day started with presentations of newly released products. After a thorough introduction, in which several advantages to other products on the market were explained, all students and journalists were able to try out the tools. Pretty soon, it was clear, that we were dealing with machines that solved everyday (handyman) problems and hence made us think “Finally!” More information regarding these new products will be made available by Festool during the following spring months. Festool also planned a tour through the country with a modified truck, showing off these innovative products to potential new customers as well as long-lasting friends and satisfied existing users.
All in all, these 48 hours were extremely interesting and enjoyable. We had a lot of fun getting to know one of our LISI sponsors a little closer. The communication and contact to our supporters of the last two years is still important, an on-going process and a high priority for Team Austria. Thank you, Festool!

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Proper use of a drill is being demonstrated by the coach.

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Sigrid is using a new drill, to drill a hole in a concrete wall.

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Festtool presents the first circular saw with battery packs.

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Decathlete Daniel is trying out the new saw.

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Our workshop leader is presenting the company's new tools.

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More information is conveyed to the press.

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Solar Decathletes get to work the new tools.

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Decathlete Daniel is preparing the wooden board.

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A small filmcrew has been trailing Team Austria for the past couple of years both in Vienna, Carinthia and Irvina,CA. They have put together a short film portraying LISI which aired on January 11th 2014 on Austrian national television. It gives a good insight of the project and all the people who have been working with it. The video is in German.

Captured here is a neat impression of the very moment the Department of Energy announced Team Austria had won the 2013 Solar Decathlon. Please enjoy this video as much as we do!

If you think of dinner preparation on an abandoned airbase field and only come up with fast food choices like chicken wings and hot (coyote) dogs, stop! The cooking preparations for our guests at the dinner event and movie night were as much fun as serving our guests. Also starting with day one Team Austria established a haute cuisine supply chain for those brave and hard working students that will set the food experiments benchmark for the forthcoming Solar Decathlon Europe in France see here http://www.solardecathlon.at/lisi-cookingtroops/. Bon Appétit!

After ranking fourth in architecture and first in the communications contests, LISI was catapulted onto the first place with just two more competition days to go. This of course, had a huge effect on the visitor numbers during public hours. All of a sudden, a long line started wrapping itself around LISI and people had to wait up to an hour.
The team was working hard to not only keep our waiting guests entertained, but also to still deliver a proper presentation to those inside the house. The conversations and feedback we received from our fans was overwhelming and we truly are grateful for everyone who has taken their time to come and see LISI, Team Austria’s house.

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Once the line wrapped around the house, we were really impressed.

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Another shot from the other side of LISI. The line makes a turn.

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People standing in the sun, wearing the LISI crown.

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It's school day. The guides show school kids around the house.

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Decathlete Benedikt is demonstrating the laundry cabinet.

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Visitors line up to tour the Team Austria house, built by students from Vienna Institute of Technology, after it came in first place overall at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013 at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, Calif. on October 13, 2013 (Credit: Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon)

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Decathlete Mario is taking a break in the shade. On his head is the LISI crown.

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Here we are. On October 12th, the US Department of Energy announced that Team Austria has won the Solar Decathlon 2013. The extreme effort of more than two years of hard work has come down to this very moment. The team is incredibly grateful and truly humbled by this amazing award that has been awarded. We also pay the utmost respect to each and every solar decathlete who has taken part in this year’s event. The community which was forming in and around the solar village had such a friendly atmosphere, that on occasions we actually forgot that a competition was currently in progress. Thank you very much!

Visitors and teams gather to hear the final results at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013 at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, Calif. on October 12, 2013 (Credit: Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon)

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The crowd gathers around. Team Austria has the stage.

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Team management poses for the victory photo.

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Team Austria receives the new "1st place" sign in front of their house.

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We were much honored to welcome several special guests in our house during the competition phase. The mayor of the city of Irvine, Steven Choi, not only signed the inside of the laundry cabinet door but was also invited to the hosted dinner party where we served pumpkin soup and chicken.
Former finance minister of Austria, Hannes Androsch, has not spared the long journey from Vienna to Irvine to take a firsthand look at LISI. We were especially delighted to welcome Walter Kohn – chemistry nobel prize laureate – as well as Raymond Neutra, son of famous architect Richard Neutra, into our house. Joining us all the way from the East coast from Washington was Austrian ambassador to the US Hans Peter Manz.

Mayor Choi signs on the inside of our kitchen cabinet doors.

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Gregor Pils is talking to nobel prize laureate Walter Kohn

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Nobel Prize laureate Walter Kohn signing LISI.

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Gregor Pils and Claus Schnetzer talk to former Austrian minister Hannes Androsch.

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Raymond Neutra, son of famous architect Richard Neutra signing the guest book.

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LISI's project managers with Austrian embassador to the US Hans Peter Manz.

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An Austrian delegation from politics and and economics visiting the LISI house.

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Team Austria won first prize in the communications competition! Communications Officer Jakob Doppler outlines the LISI communications concept:

“It all starts with a tree.” That is the basic idea to the start of every public tour. But this idea even applies to Team Austria’s holistic communication concept: Hand carved wooden menus show you what’s for dinner, handouts printed on recycled cellulose inform you about the project and can be folded into a hat, a touch path invites visitors to experience different types of lumber and wooden materials.

“I like the smell of the wood in your house” – Inside and around LISI the house you can see, hear, touch and sense all our efforts in communication, identity and branding. Our website is not just a news portal but an information hub. Our posts are not just blog entries but stories about the Team, the house and its context that roots in Austria and leaves its footprints everywhere in on its way to California. Social media – we have the highest increase in followers in the last month before the competition – and a caringly crafted newsletter informs lots of people – sponsors, authorities, interests groups, friends about our journey.

You can find our passion for identity formation in our clothing, our rich audio visual media and home entertainment, interactive information design in handouts and the beautiful signage. “Living by sustainable innovation”, “it all starts with a tree” – messages like these create pictures in our heads. Pictures of sustainability and ecology and how they can merge with terms like design for functionality, design for human needs and design for beauty.

Paul Watzlawick, a famous Austrian communication theorist, who happened to emigrate to Palo Alto, California postulated “One cannot not communicate”. Team Austria tries to pursue this principle in the LISI project every day.

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