Weeks of Work, Research, & Design Pay Off: Westridge’s 6th Grade Presents Innovative Eco-Homes

After weeks of tinkering away, the 6th grade class presented their incredible eco-homes at Ranney Court on Thursday. Families, faculty, staff, and fellow students toured the displays as the 6th graders explained how they made their homes, which were all based in locations around Mexico.

Under the tutelage of the entire 6th grade faculty (a truly interdisciplinary project!), the students investigated their passion for sustainable engineering and exploring other cultures through the lens of these cardboard homes in mini “consulting” groups. Liv C., Catherine P., and Dillan R. ’28 designed La Casa Soleada, based in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, which featured a slanted roof. They explained that because the sun sets in the west, the solar panels atop will be able to absorb more heat.

Check out the before and after for an eco-home designed by Sienna W., Roen S., and Sofia R. ’28 below. The three, who were very excited about building a foyer for their home, said it was also one of the most challenging part of their design.

Students used foam, tin foil, and other material to insulate their house based on the climate of their house’s location in Mexico. They then conducted heat tests to ensure their insulation was effective and shared the results in their project briefs. The circuitry installation was another challenge of this project, and students came up with a number of sustainable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines to power their houses’ lights.

See more photos of Thursday’s Eco-Home Tour here and click here to view an interactive map of all the houses. Congratulations to our budding engineers on their impressive work!

Westridge School, 324 Madeline Drive, Pasadena, (626) 799-1053 ext. 200 or visit www.westridge.org.