In part one we began this “LEED Update” series with a discussion of climate change and how out of Greenbuild ’06, the USGBC and the green building movement were determined to change things in a big way by significantly reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption by the years 2010, 2020 and 2030. This time, we’ll continue with a look at the controversy between USGBC/LEED and the timber industry.
Structural insulated panels (SIPs) and insulating concrete forms (ICFs) are two EPS systems introduced more than 30 years ago that are gaining widespread acceptance in North America. Increased energy costs and the recognized benefits of sustainable design have now firmly pushed them into the mainstream.
For 35 years contractor and inventor Pete Konopka has been pursuing the Holy Grail of modern buildings– a “zero-net-energy” structure that provides all of its own energy onsite and is not dependent on the electrical grid for ANY electricity–and is convinced he’s on the brink of success.
It was in August of 2004 that architect Burnell Olson, of Adkins Association Architects Inc., asked the Bureau to meet at the St. Paul Little Sisters House, to discuss some of the more obvious issues afflicting the exterior wall facade of this structure that was built in 1976.
Tom Sturges hadn’t even thought of doing anything unconventional a year ago when he was preparing to break ground on a new headquarters for his family’s 107-year-old business. But the builder said he was looking at a new way that could really cut energy costs. The process led Sturges to being the first owner of a building made of accel-E “Steel Thermal Efficient Panels” (STEPs) created by a new company, Accelerated Building Technologies.
There is almost always a way to work with unusual substrates and get the EIFS properly attached. This month’s column will give a number of approaches to dealing with specific situations.
Our December 2006 column titled, “Using a Gypsum Board Membrane System for Fire Resistance” generated a couple of phone inquiries. The gist of both calls indicates that the column may have been a bit too brief in its explanation of membrane fire ratings.
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