Our team initially split up the project into 5 main subgroups: Green Building, Envelope, Interior/Exterior, Energy Modeling, and Energy Systems. The majority of the design process was all completed in the Fall term of 2020 as part of ENGS-89.
Below are tables of our specifications we established for the completed TRS.
Table 1: Building Specifications
| Specification | Justification | Quantification | Test |
| Weight | Ability to tow/move the station to the SCG | Weight of house and trailer <12,000 lbs | Weight on a scale |
| Storage space (interior and exterior) | Research material needs to be stored | Space for at least 4 - 27 gallon plastic storage bins | CAD modeling, full-scale test |
| Table space | Need space to work on research | 20 square feet of table space | Tape measure |
| Cork and white board | Use to work on calculations, write notes; Hang up work and reference material | 1 each | Is there a cork/white board? |
| Interior Lighting | Need lighting to work in the space when sunlight is not available | At least 500 lux over workspaces | Luxmeter test |
| Durable Flooring | Researchers wear muddy boots | AC3 Rating or equivalent | Research durability and longevity of material; clean the surface |
| Wheelchair Accessibility | Increase inclusivity of space | Minimum of 3ft between furnishings/walls | Measure the space between furniture and walls |
| Air tightness | Prevent air leaks to maximize thermal efficiency | maximum of 0.6 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals pressure | Blower Door Test |
| Include Design Features purely for human delight | Increase comfort and happiness in the space | 3 features purely for human delight | User interviews |
Table 2: Education Specifications
| Specification | Justification | Quantification | Test |
| Website | Display information about the station | Display basic design info of house and current and past electricity use of house | Test users try website and offer feedback |
| Monitoring System | Record and upload live data from station | Upload live data about house to a website: Temperature, energy use | Small-scale and full-scale testing before and during implementation |
| Physical Alterations | Used by classes for experiential learning | Devise 3 physical alterations to the building | Check each alteration to ensure it accomplishes intended educational purposes |
Table 3: Energy Specifications
| Specification | Justification | Quantification | Test |
| Net-Zero Energy | Minimize use of non-renewable resources | Greater renewable energy production on site than energy consumption of house | Model and predict energy use and renewable energy production on site |
| Heating system | Heat house during winter to a livable temperature | Keep house at/above 60°F during cold weather (0°F) | Model heat output of system and heat load during winter |
| Electrical outlets | Powering computers and other digital equipment | 120V AC outlets | Model to determine if the system supply power to 5 laptops simultaneously
Test at full scale |
Table 4: Green Building Specifications.
| Specification | Justification | Quantification | Test |
| Follow LBC's Living Economy Sourcing | Stimulate local economies and minimize transportation emissions | Source distance from Hanover (miles) | Record locations of sourced materials |
| 100% Red-List Free | Create a healthy research environment | % Materials (by mass) that are Red List-Free | Check materials' ingredients and calculate % mass |
| Minimize embodied carbon | Ethical: minimize contribution to GHG emissions and climate change | Global Warming Potential of materials (kg CO2-eq) | Calculate the embodied carbon footprint of the building and publish these calculations and results on the website |
| Use FSC 100% certified, local or salvaged timber | Promote reuse of resources to divert landfill waste and promote sustainable forestry management | % timber (by mass) that is FSC 100% certified or equivalent, or is salvaged | Calculate the % mass of timber that is FSC 100% labeled or salvaged |
| Minimize construction waste | Be efficient with material use, minimize excess spending and minimize landfill waste | Total mass waste produced & % mass waste diverted from landfills |