May 14, 2007 

NYIT 2007 Solar Decathlon Team Re-Launches Web Site

Old Westbury, N.Y., May 3, 2007: New York Institute of Technology’s (NYIT) 2007 Solar Decathlon team has re-launched its interactive Web site, which reflects the design, concept and progression of OPEN House—the team’s solar house entry into the 2007 Solar Decathlon, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The international competition challenges students to design, build and operate the most energy-efficient solar-powered home. NYIT is one of 20 colleges and universities—and the only school from the New York metropolitan area—selected to participate in the 2007 Solar Decathlon.

The Web site serves as a tool to inform, educate and raise public awareness about the advancement and use of alternative and renewable energy solutions, sustainable design and reducing the environmental impact of conventional construction. The Web site can be viewed at www.nyit.edu/solar.

Designed, developed, and maintained by members of NYIT’s Solar Decathlon communication arts team, the site creates a community environment featuring a clean and crisp design, simple navigation and usability, and interactive and dynamic content. The site is organized into five areas, including an informative “progression” section highlighting the team’s latest advancements and developments. It enables viewers to access video news, press releases, stories, and a photo gallery.

“The concept for the house is openness,” says Matthew Vecchione, a fourth-year architecture student and student project manager of NYIT’s 2007 Solar Decathlon team. “Openness to nature, sight, mind, as well as ideas. The open floor plan allows the inhabitant to manipulate the home’s space for optimum comfort and the south wall windows provide an open view of nature.”

To illustrate these ideas—harnessing the sun’s energy to power a home and communicating the environmental benefits of solar technology—the communication arts team collaborated with students on NYIT’s Solar Decathlon architecture, interior design and engineering teams to develop a brand identity and logo, says James Messina, a graduate student studying communication arts and a member of NYIT’s Solar Decathlon communication arts team.

NYIT’s interdisciplinary team includes students studying architecture, interior design, engineering, communication arts, management, and culinary arts. Next fall, teams will transport their completed solar homes from their respective campuses to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., forming a “solar village.” Teams will be judged in 10 different contests, which focus on energy efficiency, design and comfort.

Solar Decathlon 2007 takes place Oct. 12-20, 2007. All homes will be open for public tours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekends, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, except Wednesday, Oct. 17, when houses are closed for competition purposes. For more information about the Solar Decathlon, visit www.solardecathlon.com.

About NYIT

NYIT is the college of choice for more than 14,000 students enrolled in more than 100 specialized courses of study leading to undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees in academic areas such as architecture and design; arts and sciences; education and professional services; engineering and computing sciences; health professions, behavioral, and life sciences; management; and osteopathic medicine. As a private, nonprofit, independent institution of higher learning, NYIT embraces an educational philosophy of career-oriented professional education for all qualified students and supports applications-oriented research to benefit the greater global community. Students attend classes at NYIT’s campuses in Manhattan and Long Island, as well as online and in a number of programs throughout the world. To date, more than 69,000 alumni have earned degrees at NYIT. For more information, visit www.nyit.edu.

Contact: mediarelations@nyit.edu