The 2011 Shortlist - Civil Engineering

CUBE PROJECT
Hertfordshire University, Mitsubishi Electric
The result of an intriguing collaboration between psychologists from Hertfordshire University and engineers from Mitsubishi Electric, the Cube is a compact (3 x 3 x 3m) and portable house designed to drive awareness of energy-saving technologies.

Making its debut at the Edinburgh science festival, the small prototype home features a range of commercially available energyefficient technologies.

The Cube Project is designed to promote the adoption of low-carbon technologies, both in the domestic and business sectors. These technologies include photovoltaic solar panels, air-source heat pumps, LED lighting, LED television, triple-glazed windows, low-flow water fittings, induction cooking, heat-recovery ventilation, and domestic appliances optimised for their energy efficiency.

According to the project leader, Hertfordshire University’s Dr Mike Page, all of the technologies used in the Cube can be applied in homes and business premises of any size, whether new-build or retro-fit, scaled (where appropriate) by the building’s surface area.

Funded by £20k of seed funding from Hertfordshire University’s Collaborative Funding Initiative, the build was financed by the School of Psychology and by a number of commercial sponsors, of whom Mitsubishi Electric was the most prominent.