ST. LOUIS - 
(EINPresswire via NewMediaWire) - May 13, 2014 - Appalachian State University (ASU) student fingerprints literally and figuratively cover every aspect of their student-designed-and-built as well as “reimagined” row house that is sailing to France to compete against 20 global teams in the Solar Decathlon Europe 2014.
To reduce their environmental footprint, the students chose soy-biobased products.
Soy-based, formaldehyde-free plywood as well as durable floor matting are important features of Maison Reciprocity, ASU’s solar-powered row house developed with their partner school, the Université d'Angers (U d'A). The Boone, North Carolina University is one of three U.S. schools chosen for this complementary competition to the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.
“We congratulate these students on their innovation and leadership for sustainability,” said United Soybean Board Customer Focus Action Team Chair John Motter. “People around the world will learn from their example.”
The students worked day and night to design and build the house that they will also disassemble and ship to France from Norfolk, Virginia on May 16. Once in Versailles, students from both universities will unite to reassemble and then compete in the house that offers multiple environmental attributes for all.
Students used 1,700 square feet of Columbia Forest Products’ PureBond® hardwood plywood made with its soy-based formaldehyde-free adhesive on floors, walls and stairs. The product won the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Presidential Green Chemistry Award. Formaldehyde is classified as a known human carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program, an interagency program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. According to the EPA, formaldehyde can also cause eye, nose and throat irritation as well as respiratory problems.
“These panels not only provide an attractive finish, but the fact that they are formaldehyde free is an important attribute that will help our entry compete in the ambient air quality portion of the competition,” said Mark Bridges, a graduate student at ASU and the communications manager for the project.
“The floor mat, basically a 30-feet-long runner, will protect the floors from the large amount of foot traffic that the home will experience during its weeks of open houses,” Bridges says.
EcoPath™ and the USB provided the mat backed with EnviroCel™, which uses soy as well as recycled plastics. The mats are widely used at the Pentagon and other major facilities with very heavy foot traffic.
America's farms are just beginning to tap their potential as a source for natural, renewable biobased products that offer benefits to worker health, the environment, America's economy and energy security. To learn more about the many biobased products made from soybeans, go to www.soybiobased.org .
Because of the potential for biobased products to create new markets for soybeans, U.S. soybean farmers have invested millions of dollars to research, test and promote biobased products. Much of this work was done through the United Soybean Board (USB), which is composed of 70 U.S. soybean farmers appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to invest soybean checkoff funds. As stipulated in the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for the soybean checkoff.
For more information about Maison Reciprocity, please visit http://www.reciprocity2014.com/
Melissa Narins
KCE Public Affairs
703-780-0880