UB’s award-winning GRoW Home, which has been fully reconstructed on the South Campus, is reopening to the public as a demonstration project in low-energy living.

All are invited to attend a reception marking the opening from 5-6 p.m. Sept. 26. The 1,100-square-foot structure is located behind Hayes Hall near Wende Hall. Those wishing to attend the opening should RSVP to Jill Robins by Sept. 21 at 881-7481 or jcrobins@buffalo.edu.

The reception will be followed by a lecture by Rahul Mehrotra, UB’s Clarkson Chair in Architecture, from 6-7:30 p.m. in Hayes Hall. Mehrotra is principal of RMA Architects and professor of urban design and planning in the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

The GRoW Home — which stands for Garden, Relax or Work — was designed and built by more than 300 UB students, with broad support from Western New York businesses and donors. The house produces more energy than it consumes, and features a greenhouse for self-sustaining food production.

In 2015, the structure was trucked across the country to Irvine, California, where a team of UB students and faculty rebuilt it for participation in the U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored Solar Decathlon, a prestigious international competition. The GRoW Home placed second overall and received three first-place awards.

When the competition ended, the structure was disassembled and shipped back to Buffalo, where it was then rebuilt on the South Campus.

In its new iteration, the GRoW Home will provide classroom and small event space as both a university and community resource center.

As part of a project funded by the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA), the GRoW Home will relocate to a permanent site near the Solar Strand on the North Campus. Work will begin on that phase after the academic year concludes in May.