Project RE:FOCUS Has Touched Down

June 11th, 2010 by Kathryn Watson

On Wednesday, the Team Florida construction site featured nothing but our home’s foundation and the team’s anticipation.

Fast forward through two sleepless nights and countless complications.

Crowds from all over the Villa Solar gathered this morning to watch the nearly 8-metric ton bedroom module balance on a crane lift about 15 feet in the air. After a few adjustments, the module was airborne. It was hard to believe that, after all the challenges we had faced in the past week, everything came down to that two-minute voyage from crane to foundation — the most terrifying two minutes we’ve faced so far.

Once set, the bedroom module was bolted to the living room module, which was delivered early Thursday morning.

Now we’re racing toward the finish line, which is just seven days away. Before Solar Decathlon Europe 2010 opens its gates, we need to finish interiors, solar installations, deck, screens and landscaping. While that may seem like a daunting list, we’re just relieved that the house is on solid ground.

The four days it took to transfer the house from the pre-construction site to the Villa Solar seemed like they lasted an eternity. Along the way, we’ve probably single-handedly supported Red Bull and have become entirely too familiar with the stretch of road between our hotel and the construction site.

Stay tuned for updates! To view photos of the house on the Villa Solar, visit www.facebook.com/projectrefocus.