Summary

Founded in 2006, Drexel Smart House is a student led organization promoting multidisciplinary undergraduate design, research, and entrepreneurship on Drexel's campus. For the last thirteen years, Drexel Smart House has carried out its mission to promote new technologies relating to its core values, public involvement in sustainability and advanced technologies, and innovation in Smart Living and Design. Hundreds of students have been involved with Drexel Smart House developing research, entrepreneurial, and professional skills not possible from traditional classroom methods.

Rapid Growth

In the first eight years, Drexel Smart House has received generous support to develop an abandoned property on Race St. into a new definition for urban living. Through the strong support of Drexel University faculty and the broader community, students have been involved in research exploring new ways that the urban household can participate in sustainable practices.
The opportunity to design and lead original research with professional funding is a primary objective for Drexel Smart House. Undergraduate students deserve the chance to experience hands on research as early in their career as possible, and Drexel Smart House makes this possible. The funding and network of faculty mentors is invaluable to students with an idea to change the world.

The property on Race St, a revived abandoned property, is currently a blank canvas for new student research. Years of work by Drexel University and Drexel Smart House have transformed this property and will eventually allow students to test and implement their ideas from the lab into a real world environment.

Development

In 2013, Drexel Smart House, through the Drexel Smart Initiatives Program, launched a new minor to engage with the entire student body in new ways. Through the minor, student are introduced to a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving that is integral to undergraduate research supported by Drexel Smart House.

In 2014, Drexel Smart House adapted its constitution to better reflect its current role in Drexel University and prepare for the next eight years. These changes allowed for increased member participation and a renewed focus of educational outreach. Because of this, members have been able to gain experiences in areas outside of research, including graphic design, financial responsibilities, and information management. These changes also allowed for new connections that have been made with the Academy of Natural Sciences and the Franklin Institute to develop new curriculum for Drexel University focused around community engagement and scientific communication. This multidisciplinary approach to learning cannot be matched in a traditional classroom, and it is very important for Drexel Smart House to continue to provide students with these opportunities.

Today

Today students are able to access the house like any other building at Drexel University, and the research projects that began as ideas in the basement of Main Building are thriving at 3425 Race Street. We invite everyone to join us on the next phase of our adventure as we begin to fully move our research into the house and continue to develop the future of urban living.