LEAFHouse, the 800 square foot solar-powered home designed by the University of Maryland's 2007 Solar Decathlon team, on which many Clark School students participated, has earned an "Award for Distinctive Residential Architecture" from the Washingtonian/American Institute of Architects (AIA) 28th Annual Awards Program.

The program, run by Washingtonian magazine and the Washington, D.C., chapter of the AIA, honors projects on the basis of excellence in total design. The award will be announced in the June 2009 issue of Washingtonian.

LEAFHouse took 2nd place overall at the 2007 Solar Decathlon and won the People's Choice Award. The team also won the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers "Integration for Renewables for Sustainable Living" honor, the National Association of Home Builders "Marketing Curb Appeal" Award and the AIA Potomac Valley Chapter Award for "Advancement of the Art and Science of Architecture."

IEEE also honored the LEAFHouse team last year "For dedicated interest in the pursuit of advancing solar technology to improve our standard of living, we honor these students for their efforts in participating in the 2007 Solar Decathlon competition by building and displaying, on the National Mall, a livable solar home."

"LEAFHouse has performed at the top levels of professional achievement," said Amy Gardner, associate professor of architecture and a team faculty advisor. "This points to its future as a catalyst for future Solar Decathlon efforts and for further research on integrated sustainable design."

Visit the LEAFHouse site to learn more.