Beautiful and durable cypress is establishing itself as an environmentally friendly option, as evidenced by its starring role in six sustainable-solar homes designed and built by architectural students for the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon.

"The cypress really gave our home a distinct appearance," said Pliny Fisk, an expert in sustainable building who served as the faculty leader for Texas A&M's entry. He encouraged students to use materials like cypress and mesquite that are native to Texas, to enhance the green profile of their solar-collecting home.  

"We had lots of positive comments from our visitors on the design of our home, a look that we could not have achieved without the use of such a beautiful wood," he said. Cypress was used for cladding in a distinctive pattern of horizontal slats and for decking.  

A total of 20 college and university-led teams from the U.S. and three foreign countries participated in the event. The goal was to combine advanced solar-collection technology with natural building materials like cypress to create homes that are energy-efficient, durable, well-suited to everyday living, and appealing to consumers. 

"The Decathlon is more than a student project," said Samuel E. Bodman, U.S. Secretary of Energy. "These creative teams develop livable, working, energy efficient, and marketable home designs powered by cutting edge, currently available solar-energy technology."

Franca Trubiano, the faculty advisor for Georgia Tech's entry, said her team originally planned to create an all-steel framed home, but decided to use cypress and other woods as a contrast to the home's glass and metal elements. "To me, the introduction of wood is what makes it a home," she explained. 

Architect Steve Lee and his team of students at Carnegie Mellon University also made extensive use of cypress siding and decking to offset their home's metal cladding and to complement its abundant use of plants. "We were very pleased with the cypress, not just because of how good it looks, but also because of how easy it was to work with," he said.    

Cypress decking and siding was also included in homes created by students from the University of Missouri at Rolla, the University of Texas at Austin, and the Kansas Solar Project, a joint entry by students of Kansas State University and the University of Kansas.

The cypress was donated by the Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association, which is dedicated to educating design professionals, builders, architects, and consumers about the benefits of using cypress in their homes and commercial projects.

According to the association, cypress naturally withstands moisture conditions that cause decay-making it ideal for outdoor applications such as siding, fencing, and decking.