Cornell University's submission to the U

Cornell University's submission to the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon sits on display at the National Mall in Washington, DC, October 6, 2009. Each of the house's silos�kitchen, bedroom, and living room�is 16 ft (4.9 m) in diameter, with about 130 ft2 (12.1 m2) of floor space. The modules are joined on the southern side, leaving the northern side open. The exterior is covered with COR-TEN, a corrugated, steel cladding that loses its original sheen as the outer layer oxidizes to a weather-proof ruddy coating. AFP PHOTO/Jim WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)