The prototype construction phase is over, which means the ESTEEM house is on the way to Dubai!
The NAGOYA EXPRESS is currently carrying our 5 containers. It left London for Dubai on Sunday (12 September).
Alex MacLaren, faculty leader, said: “This sort of experience is transformative. The excitement of playing an instrumental part in a project of this size whilst studying for a degree will stay with these students forever; and inform their ambition and confidence in their future careers.
I have been delighted by the support afforded us by the university and am excited to develop other experiences like this in future years: as a learning experience, but also as an urgent mandate to transform the ‘norm’ in our construction practices. So, who knows – next stop, Solar Decathlon Europe in 2023?”
Sustainability is essential to the future comfort of people on this planet. We’re glad to have been able to work with our partners, university and course leaders to develop, innovate, and now can share that on a global stage.
We have been working on the project for over 2 and a half and with the competition starting in less than a month. We are getting the team ready and trained to showcase the innovative ideas and technologies our ESTEEM house has.
Jessica Haskett, Construction Manager, said: “This prototype experience has been the culmination of over 2 years of collaborative design work. The interdisciplinary working has allowed me to share thoughts and challenges with students that study a variety of subjects and, together, engineer some of the best solutions.
“Being hands-on with construction work is a professional opportunity – I have placed some knowledge given through academia into practicality, in a way that my courses hadn’t done previously.
“Team ESTEEM has connected me with many industry professionals and offered an opportunity that I was not able to get due to my academic placement cancellation. Managing the team on site every day is a challenge but with the support of the student team, we have ensured that nothing is insurmountable, and we continue to celebrate our pride in the project every day”
There were many challenges on the way, but we managed to accomplish the prototype and shipping stage of our project with collaboration and teamwork.
Alex explained further: “Shipping a whole house, in prefabricated components, was always going to be a major challenge.
“We were working with key sponsors and partners who have experience of this, so we used that expertise in every possible way: from advice about import/export and Customs (a very complex area now!) to strategies for container loading and the very significant haulage logistics”
We asked Alex some other questions and this is what she shared with us:
-How was working with students and recent graduates from Heriot Watt University?
This really was an experience of learning alongside the students: the logistics of deconstruction and shipping were new to me as well. There were some very tough times; changes in scheduling and unexpected challenges with freight timetable changes and container availability: and it was being part of the wider Team ESTEEM that helped to keep my spirits up, and my outlook optimistic.
“This is a really ‘can do’ team: and also, a team of hard grafters. There are 78 timber CLT panels and 43 prefabricated insulated cassettes in this build: making each one of those is a combination of focus, precision, manual labor – and of course it gets repetitive and exhausting! But that didn’t stop anyone: and the camaraderie on site was wonderful.
-What was the most exciting thing that happened during the construction?
We have one very large CLT component; it forms the upstand for our south-sloping roof and has a number of window apertures; it’s a really core part of the three-dimensional experience of the house. But it’s a fragile and complicated panel in its own way, and the lifting plan was complicated and required input and advice from structural engineers and the crane operatives. Seeing that panel rise overhead and then be bolted into position was a very big moment for all of us.
There was also something wonderful about seeing the panels squeeze into place in the containers; we’d been rehearsing a three-dimensional virtual jigsaw puzzle in our computer drawings (we called it ‘container jenga’) to ensure that we were making the most efficient packing schedule we could, reducing our carbon footprint and optimizing our operation. It worked: at times only just-!- but it was almost unbelievable to see those little 3d jigsaws in their massive, real-life scale!
-The collaboration with sponsors, logistics and organization.
My list of people ‘without whom we couldn’t have done this’ just grows and grows. This project has been an edifying reminder of how good people are. From our colleagues on site and in the factory to our sponsors overseas and around the country, people pulled out all the stops to get this project ready and get their kit to us for shipping against a very tight deadline. We’ve called in favours from all over the university and from friends and partners beyond the many logos displayed on our webpage. A massive, massive thank you to everyone involved- you know who you are!
Some team members shared their experiences of being on site:
Simon Klekot, head of HR & Recruitment: “Being involved in Construction Site gives me a different perspective of the project than doing my HR and Recruitment job. I learn so many technical aspects of engineering which I even will be able to use in the future in things like my own house refurbishment“
Srivathsan Karunanithi, Health and Safety Officer: “I had an amazing time with the prototype, and I learned a lot. With the house now being off to Dubai I feel really excited and thrilled to see that happening”
Carlos Fitzpatrick, Audiovisual: “I’ve learnt so much on this construction site. From practical skills to theoretical knowledge, simply being a part of the construction has been extremely fruitful for me and the way I think about engineering. Having just finished the first year, being able to learn a lot from older students was a great bonus”
This is the beginning of a new chapter for team ESTEEM, with the competition starting soon we are preparing and finalizing the design, planning and deliverables.
This is the second time Heriot-Watt University has participated in a Solar Decathlon Competition and it might not be the last time that we see HWU students transforming the construction industry!
TEAM ESTEEM
Heriot Watt University