when engineering and designing infrastructure of the future it is imperative that we first understand the consequences of a changing climate. a changing climate can alter our environment in a number of ways the most detrimental being more extreme temperatures or dryer environments. we need to design our buildings and infrastructure with this changing climate in mind, in particular we must conserve both energy and water while keeping houses affordable. attention to energy efficiency will ensure that there is enough energy to power our lives and homes in the future. water conservation is crucial as water is absolutely necessary for life as we know it. lastly maintaining an affordable cost will help spread these ideals throughout the world, ensuring everyone adopts these values. it is in this vain that the sci-arc\/caltech solar decathlon team has designed a house that produces it’s own energy, minimizes energy production, and consistently conserves water use.<\/p>\n