Page 46 - Green Builder Nov-Dec 2020 Issue

VISION House team prioritized it to reduce system on the exterior, which will wet the
mechanical heating and cooling demand, exterior to extinguish embers.” Considering
including the ICFs, structural insulated that the re department is far away from
panel (SIP) roof structure, light-gauge steel this remote location, this system would buy
interior framing and ultra-high-performance valuable time should a re emergency occur,
windows. he adds.
The Uponor plumbing system does triple
FIRE SUPPRESSION duty in this house: re suppression, potable
soils. They performed extensive geotechni- Mitigating re risk was top of mind for the water, and radiant heating.
cal work to determine the best siting and VISION House team as it chose building
foundation strategy, and opted to excavate products. “There are no combustible mate- PROTECTING HOME FROM WATER
directly into the bedrock, pouring the steel rials in the vertical structures of the house,” In addition to the weather-cladded ICFs,
footers directly into the stone. Herro says. the Western Window Systems’ windows
The structure of the house is made from For the exterior, the team picked a formi- provide a double-sealed barrier on a house
ICFs by Nudura. Stacked, reinforced and dable collection of re-resistant products. that has large sections of glazing.
then filled with concrete, ICFs create a “The roof is Boral stone-coated steel; the sid- “We worked with Western to get the best
solid wall that exceeds the requirements ing is Cultured Stone and steel, the eaves are windows designed for the Cascades envi-
for seismic. “All the subgrade and above- steel wrapped. All of these positively reduce ronment,” explains project architect Stace
grade structures are poured-in-place ICFs, fuel sources in and around the house.” McGee of Equiterra Regenerative Design.
wrapped in additional weather barriers With adequate setbacks of vegetation, “This was important because in King
and steel cladding,” Herro explains. “This the house is designed to survive through a County, where the project is located, each
makes the house airtight, bug resistant and regional re. window has to be labeled. They have to have
water-resistant.” “There’s a ton of timber in a normal house high ratings and [the county] is stringent
The foundation’s design caught other with Žooring trusses, wall systems, cedar about it.”
builders’ eyes “People who know construc- shingles, and asphalt. These materials add The team opted for the performance route
tion looked at all the forms laid into the fuel to re,” Herro explains. “We conscien- versus prescriptive. “In using advanced
ground and steel reinforcements and asked, tiously removed these from this house.” materials, the system of air changes per hour
‘Are you landing planes on top of this The team also addressed re protection (ACH), ICFs, SIPs, and windows create the
house?’” Herro laughs. on the inside of the house. “The steel-formed resulting heating load, not just one factor,”
Because the building envelope has the interior has an Uponor re suppression sys- McGee points out.
most impact on the home’s performance, the tem,” Herro says. “We also have a misting “There is also a big water-resistant story

NUDURA INSULATED CONCRETE FORMS ICFs The roof of this project is built from PREMIER SIPs. WESTERN WINDOW SYSTEMS Series 7000
provide superior energy efficiency, consistency This construction method consists of an insulating aluminum windows offer the house a low U-value
in performance, and lower utility costs over the expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam core laminated (ratings as low as 0.19) and design pressure
life of a home versus traditional building methods between two sheets of oriented strand board ratings above 50. This durable, energy-efficient
such as wood. ICFs’ steel-reinforced concrete (OSB) using a structural adhesive. This engineered solution allows for a modern look and more glass
cores are disaster-resistant, offering strength, system provides an extremely strong building in a variety of weather conditions.
safety and durability against extreme weather panel that needs no additional frame or skeleton The Series 7000 boasts performance glass
conditions, including wind resistance of up to 250 for support. options from Cardinal IG, which can be customized
mph (equivalent to an F4 tornado). Premier’s large, pre-fabricated SIPs make in a variety of types, colors, and thicknesses.
The product’s 100 percent recycled the framing process faster than other building
polypropylene composition lowers a home’s carbon methods and enable a more airtight, well-insulated
footprint and reduces global deforestation. building for high energy efficiency.

44 GREEN BUILDER November/December 2020 www.greenbuildermedia.com

42-45 GB 1120 VH-Seattle.indd 44 12/10/20 6:53 PM