Architecture

Energy-efficient homes shine in this year's AIA Small Project Awards

Energy-efficient homes shine in this year's AIA Small Project Awards
The Redaction House, by Johnsen Schmaling Architects, was one of five modern residences given the nod by AIA's judges (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
The Redaction House, by Johnsen Schmaling Architects, was one of five modern residences given the nod by AIA's judges (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
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Fall House is located along California's Big Sur coastline (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
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Fall House is located along California's Big Sur coastline (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
Fall House, by San-Francisco-based Fougeron Architecture (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
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Fall House, by San-Francisco-based Fougeron Architecture (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
The two-story Fall House measures a total of 353 sq m (3,800 sq ft) (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
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The two-story Fall House measures a total of 353 sq m (3,800 sq ft) (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
The overall form of Fall House comprises two rectangular volumes which follow the sloping ground closely (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
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The overall form of Fall House comprises two rectangular volumes which follow the sloping ground closely (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
The south-facing facade of Fall House, which comes into contact with the brunt of the Pacific Ocean's wind and water spray, is clad in copper (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
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The south-facing facade of Fall House, which comes into contact with the brunt of the Pacific Ocean's wind and water spray, is clad in copper (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
Though not unheard of, the use of so much copper is relatively unusual on a modern build, as is the case with Fall House (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
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Though not unheard of, the use of so much copper is relatively unusual on a modern build, as is the case with Fall House (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
Fall House also boasts stunning views of the Pacific Ocean (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
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Fall House also boasts stunning views of the Pacific Ocean (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
Small House in an Olive Grove, by Cooper Joseph Studio (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
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Small House in an Olive Grove, by Cooper Joseph Studio (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
Small House in an Olive Grove is amongst three other homes in Category Two (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
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Small House in an Olive Grove is amongst three other homes in Category Two (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
Small House in an Olive Grove operates completely off-grid and features lots of natural daylight (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
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Small House in an Olive Grove operates completely off-grid and features lots of natural daylight (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
Small House in an Olive Grove is modern in appearance but takes its place well in a rural setting (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
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Small House in an Olive Grove is modern in appearance but takes its place well in a rural setting (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
Small House in an Olive Grove measures 78 sq m (850 sq ft) (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
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Small House in an Olive Grove measures 78 sq m (850 sq ft) (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
Small House in an Olive Grove, by Cooper Joseph Studio (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
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Small House in an Olive Grove, by Cooper Joseph Studio (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
Small House in an Olive Grove operates completely off-grid and features lots of natural daylight (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
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Small House in an Olive Grove operates completely off-grid and features lots of natural daylight (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
Small House in an Olive Grove is amongst three other homes in Category Two (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
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Small House in an Olive Grove is amongst three other homes in Category Two (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
Small House in an Olive Grove measures 78 sq m (850 sq ft) (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
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Small House in an Olive Grove measures 78 sq m (850 sq ft) (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
Topo House, by Johnsen Schmaling Architects (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
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Topo House, by Johnsen Schmaling Architects (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
Topo House was completed in 2013 (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
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Topo House was completed in 2013 (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
Topo House is located within Wisconsin’s "Driftless Region" (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
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Topo House is located within Wisconsin’s "Driftless Region" (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
Topo House measures 273 sq m (2,940 sq ft) (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
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Topo House measures 273 sq m (2,940 sq ft) (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
Topo House sports a high-perfomance ventilated rainscreen system with concrete fiber panels (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
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Topo House sports a high-perfomance ventilated rainscreen system with concrete fiber panels (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
Topo House, by Johnsen Schmaling Architects (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
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Topo House, by Johnsen Schmaling Architects (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
Redaction House, by Johnsen Schmaling Architects (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
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Redaction House, by Johnsen Schmaling Architects (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
Redaction House is located in Delafield, Wisconsin (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
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Redaction House is located in Delafield, Wisconsin (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
The Redaction House, by Johnsen Schmaling Architects, was one of five modern residences given the nod by AIA's judges (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
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The Redaction House, by Johnsen Schmaling Architects, was one of five modern residences given the nod by AIA's judges (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
Redaction House was constructed for a fiber artist and her young family (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
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Redaction House was constructed for a fiber artist and her young family (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
Redaction House sits on a narrow lot on a small suburban lake (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
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Redaction House sits on a narrow lot on a small suburban lake (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
Redaction House is located in Delafield, Wisconsin (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
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Redaction House is located in Delafield, Wisconsin (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
Redaction House, by Johnsen Schmaling Architects (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
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Redaction House, by Johnsen Schmaling Architects (Photo: John J. Macaulay)
Flip House, by Fougeron Architecture (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
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Flip House, by Fougeron Architecture (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
Flip House involved a renovation of an existing 1930s residence in San Francisco (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
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Flip House involved a renovation of an existing 1930s residence in San Francisco (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
The renovation of Flip House involved literally flipping the facade (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
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The renovation of Flip House involved literally flipping the facade (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
Flip House's all-glass facade is sure to offer fantastic views (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
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Flip House's all-glass facade is sure to offer fantastic views (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
Flip House, by Fougeron Architecture (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
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Flip House, by Fougeron Architecture (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
Flip House involved a renovation of an existing 1930s residence in San Francisco (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
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Flip House involved a renovation of an existing 1930s residence in San Francisco (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
Flip House's all-glass facade is sure to offer fantastic views (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
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Flip House's all-glass facade is sure to offer fantastic views (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
Fashion[ING] Objects, by Matt Fajkus Architecture, LLC
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Fashion[ING] Objects, by Matt Fajkus Architecture, LLC
Fashion[ING] Objects was designed for an annual fashion event in Austin, Texas
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Fashion[ING] Objects was designed for an annual fashion event in Austin, Texas
Fashion[ING] Objects was built in 2012
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Fashion[ING] Objects was built in 2012
Fashion[ING] Objects is a backdrop made for $3 per square meter
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Fashion[ING] Objects is a backdrop made for $3 per square meter
Fashion[ING] Objects, by Matt Fajkus Architecture, LLC
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Fashion[ING] Objects, by Matt Fajkus Architecture, LLC
Fashion[ING] Objects was designed for an annual fashion event in Austin, Texas
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Fashion[ING] Objects was designed for an annual fashion event in Austin, Texas
The Ground Cafe was designed by Bentel and Bentel Architects (Photo: Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo)
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The Ground Cafe was designed by Bentel and Bentel Architects (Photo: Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo)
The Ground Cafe is based in Yale University (Photo: Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo)
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The Ground Cafe is based in Yale University (Photo: Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo)
The Ground Cafe boasts a large digital canvas, nicknamed LuxED, from which presentations can be made (Photo: Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo)
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The Ground Cafe boasts a large digital canvas, nicknamed LuxED, from which presentations can be made (Photo: Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo)
The Ground Cafe was recognized for its joining of science and art (Photo: Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo)
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The Ground Cafe was recognized for its joining of science and art (Photo: Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo)
The Ground Cafe was designed by Bentel and Bentel Architects (Photo: Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo)
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The Ground Cafe was designed by Bentel and Bentel Architects (Photo: Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo)
The Ground Cafe is based in Yale University (Photo: Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo)
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The Ground Cafe is based in Yale University (Photo: Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo)
The Ground Cafe was designed by Bentel and Bentel Architects (Photo: Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo)
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The Ground Cafe was designed by Bentel and Bentel Architects (Photo: Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo)
NYC's Head in the Clouds Pavilion (Photo: Chuck Coi)
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NYC's Head in the Clouds Pavilion (Photo: Chuck Coi)
Head in the Clouds was designed by StudioKCA (Photo: Chuck Coi)
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Head in the Clouds was designed by StudioKCA (Photo: Chuck Coi)
Head in the Clouds is made from 53,780 recycled plastic bottles – or the amount of plastic bottles thrown away in New York City in 1 hour (Photo: Chuck Coi)
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Head in the Clouds is made from 53,780 recycled plastic bottles – or the amount of plastic bottles thrown away in New York City in 1 hour (Photo: Chuck Coi)
NYC's Head in the Clouds Pavilion (Photo: Chuck Coi)
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NYC's Head in the Clouds Pavilion (Photo: Chuck Coi)
Head in the Clouds is "a space where visitors can enter into and contemplate the light and color filtering through the ‘cloud’ from the inside, out" (Photo: Chuck Coi)
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Head in the Clouds is "a space where visitors can enter into and contemplate the light and color filtering through the ‘cloud’ from the inside, out" (Photo: Chuck Coi)
Over than 200 volunteers from the arts, architectural, and community at large helped build and assemble Head in the Clouds (Photo: Chuck Coi)
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Over than 200 volunteers from the arts, architectural, and community at large helped build and assemble Head in the Clouds (Photo: Chuck Coi)
Head in the Clouds was designed by StudioKCA (Photo: Chuck Coi)
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Head in the Clouds was designed by StudioKCA (Photo: Chuck Coi)
Volvo's Pure Tension Pavilion is the most interesting of the four winners of its category (Photo: Fabric Images/Volvo Italy)
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Volvo's Pure Tension Pavilion is the most interesting of the four winners of its category (Photo: Fabric Images/Volvo Italy)
The Pure Tension Pavilion is a solar pavilion which can recharge a fully-depleted electric car in around 12 hours, during optimal weather conditions (Photo: Fabric Images/Volvo Italy)
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The Pure Tension Pavilion is a solar pavilion which can recharge a fully-depleted electric car in around 12 hours, during optimal weather conditions (Photo: Fabric Images/Volvo Italy)
The Pure Tension Pavilion was commissioned by by Volvo Car Italia for the new Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid electric car and is currently a working prototype (Photo: Fabric Images/Volvo Italy)
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The Pure Tension Pavilion was commissioned by by Volvo Car Italia for the new Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid electric car and is currently a working prototype (Photo: Fabric Images/Volvo Italy)
Volvo's Pure Tension Pavilion is the most interesting of the four winners of its category (Photo: Fabric Images/Volvo Italy)
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Volvo's Pure Tension Pavilion is the most interesting of the four winners of its category (Photo: Fabric Images/Volvo Italy)
The Starlight installation was created by Cooper Joseph Studio (Photo: Eduard Hueber)
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The Starlight installation was created by Cooper Joseph Studio (Photo: Eduard Hueber)
Starlight is a light installation for the Museum of the City of New York (Photo: Eduard Hueber)
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Starlight is a light installation for the Museum of the City of New York (Photo: Eduard Hueber)
Starlight is conceived as a perfect circle in elevation(Photo: Eduard Hueber)
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Starlight is conceived as a perfect circle in elevation(Photo: Eduard Hueber)
The Starlight installation was created by Cooper Joseph Studio (Photo: Eduard Hueber)
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The Starlight installation was created by Cooper Joseph Studio (Photo: Eduard Hueber)
Starlight is a light installation for the Museum of the City of New York (Photo: Eduard Hueber)
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Starlight is a light installation for the Museum of the City of New York (Photo: Eduard Hueber)
View gallery - 65 images

The American Institute of Architecture's Small Project Practitioners Knowledge Community recently revealed the winners of its 8th annual Small Project Awards. The awards aim to highlight outstanding architectural projects of all kinds, which are small in both stature and cost. This year's winners included several pavilions, a light installation, and five energy-efficient homes.

The awards are split into three categories: up to $150,000 in construction costs, up to $1,500,000 in construction costs, and under 464 sq m (5,000 sq ft) in size.

Category One: Up to $150,000 in construction costs

Volvo's Pure Tension Pavilion is the most interesting of the four winners of its category (Photo: Fabric Images/Volvo Italy)
Volvo's Pure Tension Pavilion is the most interesting of the four winners of its category (Photo: Fabric Images/Volvo Italy)

Volvo's Pure Tension Pavilion is the most interesting of the four winners in this category. The Pure Tension Pavilion is a solar charging pavilion which can recharge an electric car's fully-depleted batteries in around 12 hours, during optimal weather conditions. The pavilion was commissioned by Volvo Car Italia for the new Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid electric car and is currently a working prototype.

The unit is portable and can be flat-packed to fit in the trunk of a car, assembling in less than an hour with a two- or three-person team. It weighs a hefty 68 kg (150 lb), and fits into two 165 x 38 x 38 cm (65 x 15 x 15 inch) cases.

The other winners in the category are New York City's Governors Island-based Head in the Clouds Pavilion, which is made from 53,780 recycled plastic bottles – or the amount of plastic bottles thrown away in NYC in one hour. Fashion[ING] Objects is backdrop installation for an annual fashion event in Austin, Texas, and Starlight is a light installation for the Museum of the City of New York.

Category Two: Up to $1,500,000 in construction costs

Small House in an Olive Grove operates completely off-grid and features lots of natural daylight (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)
Small House in an Olive Grove operates completely off-grid and features lots of natural daylight (Photo: Elliot Kaufman)

Three homes and a coffee shop take the prizes in this category. Though all are worthy, the aptly-named Small House in an Olive Grove by Cooper Joseph Studio, stands out.

The 78 sq m (850 sq ft) home is modern in design with a hint of brutalist inspiration, but fits in well with its rural surroundings. It operates completely off-grid, and sports a solar array for all electricity needs, with storm water runoff ensuring there are no flash floods.

The other homes in the category are the Redaction House and Topo House, both by Johnsen Schmaling Architects. The latter of the two sports energy-efficient features which include a green roof and ventilated facade.

Finally, the Ground Cafe at Yale University was recognized for its joining of science and art (and, one hopes, good coffee). It boasts a large digital canvas, nicknamed LuxED, from which presentations can be made.

Category Three: Under 5,000 square feet

Flip House, by Fougeron Architecture (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)
Flip House, by Fougeron Architecture (Photo: Joe Fletcher Photography)

This final category contains just two projects, which both happen to be by Fougeron Architecture: Fall House, and Flip House. While we've already covered the interesting sustainable features of the former in full, Flip House involved the renovation of an existing 1930s residence in San Francisco.

The architects flipped the facade upside down and re-arranged the home's interior spaces to make the most of the natural advantages of its plot and surroundings. This layout allows easy access to the garden from each floor via a central stairwell, while the all-glass facade is sure to offer great views.

That rounds out our coverage of AIA's Small Projects Awards. Head to the gallery for multiple photos of each of the winners.

Source: AIA

View gallery - 65 images
3 comments
3 comments
lwesson
I was reminded of some remote building that is used to house seeds, or telephone exchange machinery from the 1960's when I looked at these structures. This seems to be the theme de juor of architecture these days. What happened to esthetics and the human being?
My Hudson Bay was needed to bring some warmth to these concrete cold structures. And there were, ta da, well, bare concrete walls! At least in this group of structures there was not the Insect Alien Building Theme to contend with.
What is going on? Culture, history seem to vanish in these structures as quick as it does looking at Euro Currency. There is a kind of NOTHINGNESS that is extruded. A hundred years from now, what could be said of these structures, if they can even last that long without heavy constant maintenance. Frank Lloyd Wright had some houses that are like these, and they are Maintenance Queens, so I am just extrapolating that this is in the same family...
Per snow, I have seen and worked on a cabin that is kind of akin to some of these structures. It had a metal roof. Ok, that is nice, but the fasten device of nails with rubber seals failed after about 10 years. Super cold, snow, ice, melting, rain and what a mess! Water seeped in slowly, and the dwelling was a permanent host to MOLD. It would make you cry, take your breath away, up in the pristine high mountains. The ultimate solution after 30 years? Tear it down. So, I'd give these structures about 30 to 40 years before living in them would be inhospitable and cruel.
But I still ask, what is going on? Why are human beings, ah, extruded into such cold structures? Is it a contempt for humans? Maybe so.
Don Duncan
We were only given the structures appearance with no info on how or why they are "energy efficient". From that I wonder how all that glass can be efficient? Or is it the new glass that can be a conductor or resistor depending on a current?
I liked the fold out car charger. But 12 hours charge time for what batt.? This should be very popular for the outback or where no grid exists.
Geoffrey Britain
Sterile, sterile, sterile...