Page 59 - Green Builder May-June 2020 Issue

Well stacked. The VISION House at Mariposa Meadows consists of three
net-zero energy, high-performance buildings, which will serve as an off-grid
sustainability center in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

triple-glazed glass offers R-10 insula-
tion. “I am so thrilled to have these
windows and have the highest praise
for the product,” Jones adds. “They
are beautiful, functional, and magnifi-
cent—and one of the most-appropriate
components of the building envelope
inside and out.”
Also part of the thermal story, the
Assa Abloy insulated steel entry doors
and the Clopay garage doors add func-
tionality to the spaces without sacrific-
ing performance. “The R-15 garage door
has a 100-mile-an-hour wind-load rating,
which is important for durability and
energy efficiency on a wind-whipped
site,” Jones notes. “In addition, it helps
CREDIT: GREAT BUILDER MEDIA ant heating system operational year-
make the garage with its Uponor radi-
round, while also providing security
and fire protection.”

“I’m a firm believer in ICFs,” Jones says. “One of the main advantages is
that a small crew can handle quite a bit of material.” Using ICFs instead Great panes. Each home’s EuroLine
of a full concrete structure also reduces the total amount of concrete ThermoPlus windows look good and
maintain internal temperature even
required—a good thing, since the product is expensive and difficult to better, thanks to R-10 insulated
deliver to a remote site such as Mariposa Meadows. triple-pane glass.
Walls constructed from SIPs provided by the Structural Insulated
Panel Association (SIPA) and Big Sky top the super-insulated founda-
tion. “Working with SIPs required a learning curve, says Jones. “There’s
a simple but detailed procedure to prepare. It also takes more machinery
than conventional construction, but if you have the equipment and an
experienced crew available, it can really speed up the building process.”
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
insulated envelope—the lowest I’ve seen the temperature is 40 degrees F.”
Jones specified that DuPont’s Tyvek DrainWrap and FlexWrap products
provide air and water resistance and vapor permeability. The DrainWrap,
in particular, offers a grooved surface for water drainage, which is a good
choice to use with the fiber cement siding.
Jones is quick to point out that while the DrainWrap-covered SIPs and
the ICF foundation are the workhorse products in this collection of resil-
ient buildings, they wouldn’t function correctly without complementary
choices for the openings.

OPENINGS THAT ADD VALUE
Jones chose EuroLine’s 4700 Series ThermoPlus windows and patio doors
for two reasons: their aesthetic, and their performance. He didn’t quite
bank on the third attribute. “It took seven good men—and me—to move
the patio door alone,” Jones recalls. “Of the thousands of high-performance CREDIT: GREAT BUILDER MEDIA
fenestrations I have installed, these windows are the heaviest.”
The product’s heft adds to its durability and resilience, and the

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