Key to the course is the incorporation of high performance active and passive energy systems into very well-conceived and executed building and site design propositions. The key metric for the studio is “prove it.” The studio is structured around the topics of Component Development and Transformation, Body, Enclosure and Site Ideation, and Building Type and Systems Development / Customization. At the end of the studio, students will be able to: • Establish and carry out an independent research program, to conduct rational experiments based on common assumptions, to test theories through trial and error relating to both the conceptual and the material dimensions of the project. • Analyze the operation, construction, and cost feasibility of net zero energy buildings. The entire semester will focus on developing the building performance and assessment tools and methodologies to support the design of scalable ecologically-sensitive residential developments. • Understand the role of applied research in determining function, form, and energy systems and their impact on human conditions and behavior. • Comprehend the relationship between human behavior, the natural environment and the design of the built environment.