The project began in 2003 when John Beeson, a graduate student at the University of Michigan, became the project's manager.
John and a team first created a MiSo Manual. This document laid out the design parameters for the project. The focus was on Sustainability, Ecological Awareness, Flexible Houses, Material Innovation, and Efficient appliances.
The Mission statement was
"Miso seeks to create an affordable and customizable home which produces a surplus of renewable energy that will effectively redefine comfortable living in a manner feasible for generations into the future."
The US Department of Energy hosted 18 colleges in 2005 on the Washington DC National Mall Green Space. Houses from each college were built and judged on energy efficiency, architecture, heating and cooling, hot water heating, ability to charge an electric car, lighting and many other criteria. The contest was referred to as the 2005 Solar Decathlon. The link below is a great source for more info on the 2005 contest.
After the contest MiSo* was on display at Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor Michigan. It was used as an educational exhibit on renewable energy and energy efficiency for about twelve years. After that MiSo was placed up for auction in 2017.
Lisa & Matt were the lucky bidders. They had gotten married at the Botanical Gardens and were intrigued by MiSo. In the spring of 2017 they moved the home to Evart Michigan. Their dream of having an off grid homestead had begun!
The young couple had a son who was born in the bedroom and they lived there five years before selling the home to the neighbor that wanted the land but not the house.
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