Aug. 30, 2007

UWF TO HOST B.E.S.T HOUSE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY AS PART OF 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION PENSACOLA

As part of the University of West Florida's 40th Anniversary Celebration, the UWF Department of Engineering and Computer Technology will host a groundbreaking ceremony for its new B.E.S.T. House Sept. 28 at 3:30 p.m. at the UWF Main Campus. The B.E.S.T. House will be a demonstration house that will serve as an educational tool and resource for Northwest Florida. UWF students, students at regional partner institutions, construction-related professionals and community members will have the opportunity to explore construction-related issues through the house. The house will showcase green building, energy efficiency and windstorm mitigation and will be built on campus by Philip Russell Homebuilders. Don Evans with The Evans Group (Orlando) and Spencer Maxwell Bullock Architects will provide design services. The groundbreaking ceremony is free and open to the public.   "The B.E.S.T. House will enable UWF and Northwest Florida to become a centerpiece of research and applications in the construction industry through engagement of the community and industry on multiple projects and topics relating to structures and life in Northwest Florida," said Karen Rasmussen, chair of the Engineering and Computer Technology department. "UWF and supporting partners will become the leaders in this discussion, facilitating a wide-ranging set of opportunities that focus on improving the community, construction-related industries and general life in the region."   B.E.S.T. stands for Build, Educate, Sustain and Technology. The B.E.S.T. House is designed to provide a home featuring energy-efficient, sustainable design techniques available to the median homebuilder and buyer of today. The 3,300 square-foot, three-bedroom home will model technologies featuring passive solar collectors, greywater and rainwater catchment systems, advanced insulation systems, a geothermal heat pump, whole-house ventilation, energy-efficient appliances and lighting, daylighting and sustainable building products. The most ambitious goal, however, is to make the home an off-grid project with photovoltaic panels and a battery array substantial enough to supply all of the electrical power needed on site with an excess that can be sold.   For more information on the B.E.S.T. House groundbreaking, contact the UWF Department of Engineering and Computer Technology at (850) 474-2300 or visit uwf.edu/ect/besthouse.cfm. For more information on UWF's 40th Anniversary Celebration and a complete schedule of events, visit uwf.edu/40years.