SCIArc & Caltech
CHIP is a prefab, net-zero solar-powered house designed and built by a student-run team from two Southern California schools: Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The house is the team\'s entry for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 competition.
CHIP stands for \"Compact Hyper-Insulated Prototype\", designed with an intent of challenging what a net-zero house should be in every aspect of architecture and engineering design. The house is a result of a 2-year intensive collaborative research, design, and construction process from both school and various consultants in hopes of realizing a new generation of affordable housing.