What: Talk of a “greener” tomorrow has not fallen on deaf ears at Drexel University. More than 200 undergraduate and graduate students are hammering out plans for a smart house that will revolutionize how people seamlessly interact with technology to increase efficiency.On Friday, the winning design for the Drexel Smart House will be announced. The design will set the tone for the student project to renovate a former fraternity house into a sustainable, evolving structure. The house will feature innovations such as motion-controlled, energy-saving lighting and a kitchen that automatically creates shopping lists and recipes based on ingredients on hand.The Drexel Smart House, which will open in 2010, will function as a home for students and a living laboratory in which students can hatch new ideas for the building.Visuals: • About 75 Drexel faculty and students checking out and commenting on the student designs • Judges, including Drexel students, faculty and staff and Greater Philadelphia architects, announcing the winning team, which will receive a $600 check and trophy • Drexel Smart House students describing their plans for the structure during a guided tour of the buildingWhen and where: Friday, Nov. 30 • Drexel’s Paul Peck Alumni Center, 32nd and Market streets o 4 to 5 p.m.: Presentation of designs from student teams o 5 to 5:30 p.m.: Judges discuss designs and announce winning plan • 35th and Race streets (shuttle service to and from Peck Center will be provided) o 6 to 6:30: Tour of Drexel Smart HouseNews media contact: Brian Rossiter, Drexel News Bureau 215-895-2705, 267-228-5599 (cell) or brian.rossiter@drexel.edu
