April 23, 2023 – UF Presentation Team, from left to right: Hayley Gillette, Caitlin Jennings, Sydney Cherrington, Thomas Luke Slay, and Frank LaPuma, with UF Associate Professor Bradley Walters. (Photo by Werner Slocum / NREL) 
April 20, 2023 – The 2023 U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) Solar Decathlon took place at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) campus in Golden, Colorado, from April 20-23. A total of 66 college teams competed in the event. (Photo by Werner Slocum / NREL) 
April 22, 2023 – US DOE Solar Decathlon New Housing Division Jury, from left to right: Joseph Kunkel, Lance MacNevin, Sara Ann Logan, and Courtney Anderson. (Photo by Werner Slocum / NREL) 
April 23, 2023 – Sydney Cherrington accepts the first place trophy from Holly Jamesen Carr, Director of the US DOE Solar Decathlon. Cherrington is followed on-stage by Hayley Gillette, Caitlin Jennings, and the UF Team. Taylor Ryan of NREL assists with the awards. (Photo by Joe DelNero / NREL) 
April 23, 2023 – The UF Presentation Team, from left to right: Frank LaPuma, Caitlin Jennings, Sydney Cherrington, Hayley Gillette, and Thomas Slay. (Photo by Werner Slocum / NREL) 
April 23, 2023 – The UF Presentation Team, on-stage in Golden, Colorado. (Photo by Werner Slocum / NREL) 
The University of Florida won First Place in the New Housing Division of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2023 Design Challenge. Competition award winners were announced at the conclusion of the Solar Decathlon Competition Event in Golden, Colorado, April 20–23, 2023.
Students from 55 Finalist Teams represented 43 collegiate institutions from around the world competing in the 2023 Design Challenge. Teams competed in six different divisions: New Housing, Retrofit Housing, Attached Housing, Multifamily Building, Office Building, or Education Building. The New Housing division drew the most competitors. A detailed list of the winners is available at: https://www.solardecathlon.gov/event/2023-design-challenge-results.html.
The University of Florida team, known as the “Tebughna Fireweeds,” developed new housing prototypes for the Native Village of Tyonek, Alaska. Information about the project is available here: https://studiowalters.com/portfolio/tebughna-fireweed/.
Spring 2023 Project Team
Sophie Abel, Addison Besedic, Sydney Cherrington, Joshua Clark, Hannah Concepcion, Kaley Denaro, Abigail Duffey, Hayley Gillette, Garrett Gruttadauria, Caitlin Jennings, Mahtab Kouhi Rostamkolaei, Frank LaPuma, Valeria Lobo Colmenares, Juan Miri, Erica Morrissey, Joyce Ng, Thomas Slay, Courtney Smith, and Benjamin Spears
Final Competition Presentation Team
Sydney Cherrington, Hayley Gillette, Caitlin Jennings, Frank LaPuma, and Thomas Slay
Faculty Advisors
Bradley Walters, Mark Mcglothlin, and Robert Ries
Thank you to the University of Florida School of Architecture, friends, and alumni for financial support that allowed the presentation team to travel to NREL in Golden, Colorado for the final competition events.
BRADLEY WALTERS ARCHITECT 