Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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THOUGHT LEADER LEFT: UNLV's Eric Weber is modeling how desert dwellers can live more comfortably and sustainably. BELOW: Employing plants that flourish in the desert eliminates the need for irrigation. Future Perfect E ric Weber can recall the moment his career goal was set. Growing up in an Air Force family, he had lived all over the US. But when his father was posted to the Spanish island of Minorca, Weber, then a sixth grader, realized the power of architecture. "On my way to school, I passed the stone church in the town square just as the bells were ringing," he says. "That's when it hit me: I wanted to make buildings." While it was ancient architecture that first inspired him, Weber has earned acclaim for his key role in creating a house of the future: DesertSol, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas's entry in Solar Decathlon 2013. This international competition, sponsored by the US Department of Energy, challenges universities to innovate and build a solar-powered home that's costeffective, energy-efficient, and attractive. After being invited to join UNLV's School of Architecture as a visiting professor in 2010, 42 Weber quickly made his mark by spearheading the school's bid to enter the Solar Decathlon, a laborious process that ended up taking two years. "Each university had to submit a 30-page technical proposal, demonstrating that they had the organizational capability to complete the project," he explains. He tasked the fourth-year design students with conceptualizing the proposal over the course of several weeks, with their schemes reviewed by faculty, local architects, and fellow students. In February 2012, Weber's careful work paid off: UNLV was awarded one of 20 coveted spots in the competition's final judging. By then an assistant professor, Weber was named principal investigator. UNLV's proposal was for a 750-square-foot desert vacation home whose solar panels allow it to function entirely off the electrical grid. The project team of about 60 students, most in continued on page 44 "I'd be happy to live in the DesertSol house year-round." —ERIC WEBER PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM DECKER (WEBER); AARON MAYES/UNLV PHOTO SERVICES (DESERTSOL) UNLV ARCHITECTURE PROFESSOR ERIC WEBER SHOWS HOW OLD-SCHOOL SKILLS—AND A STAFF OF 60 STUDENTS—CAN BUILD A HOUSE FOR THE FUTURE. BY BARBARA PECK VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 042-044_V_SP_ThoughtLeader_Winter14.indd 42 1/10/14 10:59 AM