Ready to join our event? Let's live in symbiosis. Let's live better together!

In the summer of 2022, SUM will compete in the Solar Decathlon Europe in Wuppertal, Germany, representing the Delft University of Technology. With a team of 46 students, from 19 different countries, SUM envisions a future where humanity helps to rebuild this lost sense of community, and use advanced technological and social solutions to restore the connection with nature. We are excited to achieve a symbiotic relationship where both humans and nature can live in harmony with each other; a symbiosis. Put simply SUM is driven by the goal of living better together.

Our project, which focuses on renovating post-war tenement flats in De Dreef, The Hague, strives to find a solution to live in symbiosis, to renovate existing buildings, and simultaneously help in tackling the climate crisis. The renovation focuses on modularity, circularity, sustainability in the building, the wider urban and social living environment.

Join us on December 10th, 15:00 online via Youtube, for the first ever Design Reveal Event hosted by SUM. With this interactive session we will walk you through our innovative design, following this you are invited to participate in a live discussion with SUM members.We look forward to seeing you there!

Meet SUM speakers!

Danny Westerink

SUM - Communication & Branding

Rob Mudde

Vice Rector Magnifus Professor TU Delft

Andy van den Dobbelsteen

Professor Climate Design & Sustainability

Sonja Draskovic

SUM - Urban

Dawn Verkerk

SUM - Social

Kelvin Saunders

SUM - Urban

Sofia Pavlova

SUM - Architecture

Leon Thormann

SUM - Architecture

Danku Sobieraj

SUM - Architecture

Arne Boenders

SUM - Engineering

Daniel Simon

SUM - Partners & Budget

What are we talking about?

Symbiosis - Live better together

Student team SUM believes in the sum of individuals and the collective power of communities. Only then, we can achieve a symbiotic relationship where both humans and nature can live in harmony with each other. This is what we call: symbiosis.

Create impact for a better society

Here at Delft, we feel a deep responsibility to create impact for a better society. To develop technology-driven and innovative solutions for the societal challenges we are facing today. TU Delft is known for creating these solutions as our Vice Rector Rob Mudde can tell you more about.

About the Solar Decathlon Europe Competition

"The Solar Decathlon Europe Competition is a perfect opportunity for student teams to get through the whole experience, from imagination and conception to realization and testing"

Our struggle for global sustainability will be won or lost in cities

Our society today is facing a global challenge to achieve a more sustainable future. In order to tackle this challenge head on we need to come together, collaborate, and create more opportunities for sustainable habits.

Who are living here?

By listening to the stories of the residents we see there is a lot of potential and heart for this neighborhood. We believe these residents are able to create more meaningful connections with each other by sharing their different cultural values and knowledge.

The urban fabric of our neighborhood

Hey there! How are we redeveloping the urban fabric of our neighborhood? In order to improve the quality of our post-war tenement neighborhood we have created a redevelopment strategy consisting of three major proposals.

A typical modernist post-war tenement flat

We chose to design a top-up addition and renovation because we believe this is the best way of showing symbiosis in our design and applying it to many other buildings in similar situations.

Harvesting your own delicious food

The ground floor offers a restaurant with food made from our own backyard; a makerspace and second-hand shop to give waste a new value, and a community space for the residents and neighbours.

Residents aren’t the only ones living in the building!

The top-up addition is the energy hub for the entire building and its roof is the main generator. Besides, residents aren’t the only ones living in the building. The angled roof also provides a sheltered space below to improve biodiversity; nooks for birds, insects, and plants.

Redefining the way we build

SUM envisions a new way of building, by focussing on two principles: prefabrication and modularity. This means that we build most of the building elements completely in the factory, these pieces are then placed on our building, like a big 3D puzzle, making it quick and easy to construct.

We're glad to announce that...

As you have seen during this whole event our team is working hard on the development of our renovation strategy. From an urban to a detailed scale, ideas and visions of sustainability are implemented. The main aim of this project is to create and build a real prototype, we call this the HDU, the Housing Demonstration Unit.

So... Let's make a change!

We humans are at the center towards the transition of a sustainable future. Our behavior and the development of sustainable living habits are key in making this happen. Let’s make a change. Let’s live in symbiosis. Let’s live better together!