Page 58 - Green Builder May-June 2020 Issue

human-centric design, resiliency, energy efficiency and comfort? single component.”
Ron Jones says we can. In fact, he has been saying this throughout his So as Jones returns to resume work on the buildings, the first thing he
decades of work as a sustainable architectural designer and builder. Jones does is check to see how they weathered the brutal winter. Let’s walk with
is the co-owner, designer and builder of Mariposa Meadows, which is in him around these extraordinary buildings to see how the design, products,
many ways his most ambitious project to date. But even with its lofty building science and systems coexist in a perfectly balanced ecosystem.
goals of being off-grid, self-sufficient, resilient and carbon neutral, the
building concepts and best practices of this project can be used in any BUILDING FROM A STRONG FOUNDATION
type of high-performance build. The project’s three structures—Aspen Cabin, Atrium Duet and Studio—
Nowhere is this more clearly demonstrated than in the building sci- feature foundations constructed from insulated concrete forms (ICFs),
ence and products behind the project’s exterior and building envelopes. and walls and roofs made from structural insulated panels (SIPs) placed
“When we began visualizing the initial phase of development at Mari- on a carefully prepared site.
posa Meadows, we embraced the challenges of building on a remote site at “Preparation of the building pads involved considerable effort,” Jones
an elevation of 10,400 feet, on steep, rocky terrain in the midst of an aspen says. “[This is] due not only to the topography but also to the geology,
forest,” Jones says. “And we knew that to execute a successful project, one since a typical thin layer of soil covered extensive areas of deep-running
capable of matching the sometimes extreme conditions there, our design veins of rock that necessitated a good deal of over-excavation followed
approach and product selections would be of paramount importance.” by fill and compaction to allow for foundation work, plumbing rough-ins
As the diagram points out, Jones has addressed each exterior aspect and buried utilities.”
by carefully selecting products for their resilience, energy efficiency and The slabs feature four inches of insulation underneath them. “The
beauty. insulation on the foundations and slabs is incredible,” Jones says.
“Durability is paramount,” Jones emphasizes. “We chose everything The Nudura ICFs consist of rigid polystyrene forms filled with concrete,
for a challenging, remote location. In fact, I can’t pull out one product which is reinforced with rebar. The forms can be adjusted to accommodate
and say it is the weak link. Everything selected is best of class—every desired wall thickness.

“I’m a firm believer in ICFs,” Jones says. “One of the main advantages is
Mariposa URROUNDED BY MILLIONS of acres of reduction, clean mobility solutions, on-site food that a small crew can handle quite a bit of material.” Using ICFs instead
of a full concrete structure also reduces the total amount of concrete
national forest in the San Juan Mountains
production and ecosystem protection.
required—a good thing, since the product is expensive and difficult to
In addition, on-site testing, research and performance
of Colorado near Telluride, the VISION House
Meadows S at Mariposa Meadows unites extraordinary monitoring activities, Mariposa Meadows will be used as deliver to a remote site such as Mariposa Meadows.
Walls constructed from SIPs provided by the Structural Insulated
design, extreme performance, innovative products and
a destination location for a variety of thought leadership
Panel Association (SIPA) and Big Sky top the super-insulated founda-
events, with the goal of educating visitors about
intelligent technology.
The VISION House at Mariposa Meadows features
at a Glance a wide spectrum of sustainable solutions, from high- advanced sustainable living solutions. tion. “Working with SIPs required a learning curve, says Jones. “There’s
a simple but detailed procedure to prepare. It also takes more machinery
While the vision for Mariposa Meadows is big, the
than conventional construction, but if you have the equipment and an
footprint is small. As with every good building project, the
performance building envelope systems to renewables
to enabling technologies, extending into areas such team is doing its best to respect the privacy and solitude experienced crew available, it can really speed up the building process.”
as wildfire risk mitigation, intelligent water, waste of the neighbors—namely, the moose, elk and beaver. When Jones enters the buildings, he is not surprised at the temperature
inside. “SIPS are so amazing,” he explains. “You can go up there first thing
in the morning when the temperature is in single digits or zero outside,
and inside—where there is no mechanical heat, just solar gain and an
Design Consumers Want Resilient insulated envelope—the lowest I’ve seen the temperature is 40 degrees F.”
Jones specified that DuPont’s Tyvek DrainWrap and FlexWrap products
Solar/energy storage Houses and Self-Sufficient provide air and water resistance and vapor permeability. The DrainWrap,
in particular, offers a grooved surface for water drainage, which is a good
Building performance/energy efficiency Lifestyles choice to use with the fiber cement siding.
Jones is quick to point out that while the DrainWrap-covered SIPs and
Security Health-minded. COGNITION Smart Data reveals the ICF foundation are the workhorse products in this collection of resil-
that COVID-19 is changing how people think about
Home fitness different aspects of living and home. Demand for ient buildings, they wouldn’t function correctly without complementary
health and wellness, and excellent indoor air choices for the openings.
Connected living/smart home
quality has skyrocketed, followed by a burgeoning
interest in resiliency and self-sufficiency. OPENINGS THAT ADD VALUE
Home healthcare/tele-medicine
Jones chose EuroLine’s 4700 Series ThermoPlus windows and patio doors
for two reasons: their aesthetic, and their performance. He didn’t quite
Resilience & self-sufficiency
bank on the third attribute. “It took seven good men—and me—to move
Health & wellness/IAQ the patio door alone,” Jones recalls. “Of the thousands of high-performance
fenestrations I have installed, these windows are the heaviest.”
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
The product’s heft adds to its durability and resilience, and the
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