Earlier this year in Young Architects Unite we cited various ways in which modern houses are being redefined by young architects, including those yet to graduate from their respective schools.

The Solar Decathlon on the national mall is the highlight event for college students showing off the latest environmentally efficient housing methods and materials, and the Virginia Tech entry is already getting noticed for their inventive house, Lumenhaus.

The gee wiz feature of Lumenhaus (not to be confused with Luminhaus) is its Eclipsis System – a kind of solar “moon roof” that opens and closes automatically dependent on current weather. Comprised of two layers, one metal and the other a translucent insulating panel, the Eclipsis System can allow you to enjoy the outdoors while still technically being indoors.

There are other environmentally efficient features of Lumenhaus such as rainwater collection for gray water recycling, LED lighting and sustainable materials, but these are almost becoming “standard fare” for modern green houses, so given the wizardry of the Eclipsis System few will probably notice.

At a cost of more than $350,000 to build the one bedroom prototype house production needs to be economized before we see this house as a viable solution, but no doubt the Virginia Tech Solar Decathlon entry will raise the bar for this years event. Read post in Inhabitat.