The Itch to Heal
With unconventional thinking honed at WPI, Elzani van Zyl tackles the scourge of malaria.
Read Story- Mug
Alumni gifted me this signed mug a few years ago during our architectural program’s 10th anniversary. I’m deeply fond of the architectural programs at WPI, the only university in the U.S. where students can earn both ABET- (Accreditation Board forEngineering and Technology) and NAAB- (National Architectural Accrediting Board) accredited architecture degrees in five years.
2. Bird’s Nest
We found this in a bush in front of our house. It’s incredible to see how carefully birds construct their nests, using interlocking twigs of various sizes and incorporating anything they find suitable, including waste plastic and twine.
Steven Van Dressel
3. Honeycomb
This is our first prototype for a bioinspired, thermally self-regulating, zero-energy building enclosure system. Much of our research draws inspiration from nature, as we aim to develop thermal management materials and systems that harness natural principles.
4. Photo
I’ve had the privilege of serving as design and technical lead for three Solar Decathlon competitions, an international U.S. Department of Energy initiative challenging teams to design and build net-zero energy homes. This is a photo of our team in Datong, China, in 2013.
5. Model
This is a model of our Solar Decathlon project in Ben Guerir, Morocco, in 2019. We prefabricated the house on campus, then shipped and fully assembled it within a week at the competition site, which hosted 10,000 visitors.
6. WWI Memorial
I was honored to design the new World War I memorial in Green Hill Park for the City of Worcester, inaugurated on Veterans Day in 2020. This project holds special meaning for me since during the war all my grandparents were young adults in Flanders, where much of the fighting took place.
Thank you for sharing these items. They describe an office that is a wonderful blend of creativity and achievement.