Just one day following its ousting from one international competition, Team USA came back to catpure gold in another.

A group of students and faculty members from Virginia Tech yesterday won grand prize in the ten-day Solar Decathlon Europe in Madrid, Spain, besting 16 other universities from seven different countries.

VT’s team — an interdisciplinary bunch from the school’s College of Architecture and Urban Studies, College of Engineering, Pamplin College of Business and College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences — entered the competition with “LUMENHAUS,” a zero-energy home that is entirely powered by the sun. Ironically, Virginia Tech used its Germanic-sounding entry to narrowly defeat the University of Applied Sciences in Germany, whose students created a solar marvel named IKAROS.

Equipped with north- and south-facing glass walls, LUMENHAUS is built to gain as much exposure to daylight as possible. Perhaps the most unique aspect of Virginia Tech’s solar home, however, is its likeness to a Transformer: its walls are screens that can be removed in good weather, in effect doubling the home’s floor space. Moreover, a large portion of the home is made of recyclable material and is lit within by LED lights.

Had the entrants been judged solely on the basis of how much solar energy their homes produced, Virginia Tech would have come in second, as IKAROS received higher marks in the category. But there were nine other categories on which the homes were graded, including architecture and style.

Almost every one of LUMENHAUS’ different rooms was designed to have multiple uses, including the kitchen, where the counter can be transformed into a bar. And if you’re trying to enjoy a summer dinner outdoors, LUMENHAUS has you covered. The students cleverly rested the dining room table on coasters, giving it stability and making it easily movable.

The first place finish for Virginia Tech has been years in the making. At the United States Solar Decathlon in 2009, LUMENHAUS finished a disappointing 13th out of 2o universities. The Virginia Tech team has been tweaking the home every since, and now have a grand prize to show for their perseverance.