In 2016, Antoine Post was a bachelor’s student in applied physics at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). After joining the TU/e honors academy, he came up with the idea of putting together a team of students to develop a sustainable living concept. Other students were enthusiastic about his idea, and Team CASA was founded shortly thereafter.
Team CASA is one of the student teams at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) with a mission to accelerate the energy transition in the construction sector. The students aim to achieve this by developing alternative, affordable, and sustainable housing solutions.
Mihnea Mateescu is a third-year bachelor’s student in architecture at TU/e and the current team captain of Team CASA. He has been leading the team for just over a year. Mihnea joined the team at a challenging time, when only a few members remained after previous projects. Team CASA’s mission remains unchanged: to develop sustainable construction projects.
How it started
It took five years, starting in September 2016, to complete the mission of the first Team CASA cohort: to build a sustainable apartment complex. The concrete-free building has three apartments and is made of steel and wood. Thanks to a smart combination of solar panels and a heat pump, it has an ingenious heating and cooling system.
“It was never about setting up a student team,” says Antoine. “We wanted to create a housing concept that could truly inspire the market.” From searching for a place to build to dealing with rising steel prices due to COVID-19, the students saw it all.
The team started from scratch. “The idea was to build the concept within two years, but that was actually unrealistic. Still, it was fantastic to see how everyone contributed in their own way.”
The same vision, a different project
According to the current team captain, it was quite a challenge to breathe new life into the team. Working together did not come naturally. Last year, the team participated in an architecture competition. That brought the group closer together and prepared them for the current project.
“We have started collaborating with Meteor, a new café on the TU/e campus, to design a study area,” says Mihnea. “We are working on both an indoor and outdoor space. The focus is on using recycled materials, and the elements we design must be modular and adaptable.”
To this end, the students are working on custom-made furniture made from bio-based materials such as cork and researching smart, innovative lighting solutions to improve the atmosphere. The goal this year is to complete the project and try out new technologies. “Think of furniture with sensors that automatically adjust the seating position to the user’s posture,” he explains.
Generating impact
For Antoine, Team CASA has always been more than just a side activity during his studies. He still lives in the house and founded Integer Technologies together with team member Pau Brossa Rodriguez.
What struck companies visiting CASA 1.0 most was the operating system: the brain of the building that controlled and optimized the solar panels and heat pump. “They asked if we could make a similar system for office buildings. That’s how Integer came about,” Antoine recalls.
Integer Technologies has further developed this technology. For example, the startup has developed a smart box that controls heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. The technology is currently being used in ten buildings.
The human touch
Teamwork always has a human side. As team captains, both Antoine and Mihnea had to learn how to lead a group and make the most of everyone’s talents.
Antoine sees a student team as a collection of people with different backgrounds, skills, and attitudes. “Some join a team because they like the mission, others because it looks good on their resume, or simply because they want to belong somewhere.”
For Mihnea, as a bachelor’s student, it is particularly valuable to get a taste of how an architecture project works and how to deal with stakeholders. “As team captain, you learn how important it is to make decisions,” he says. “If all 15 of us were involved in every discussion, it would only slow down the process.”
Extra learning experience
Skill development, hard work, and fun are the key ingredients behind every student team. The two team captains can only recommend other students to join a team. “Being part of a student team gives you a head start. You gain extra experience while growing as a person at the same time,” says Mihnea.
According to Antoine, participating in a student team means learning in a completely different way than when studying for exams. “The most important thing is that this experience exposes you to many more factors, such as collaborating with companies and institutions, which you would never encounter as a student.”