Building Envelope

BUILDING ENVELOPE Exterior walls in the Sustainable Living Building are 18" thick. They have an R-value of 36, whereas conventionally framed buildings have an R-value of 14. The roof has an R-value of 60 and consists of a truss system insulated with cellulose, and a Foamglas under an exterior membrane painted white to re- flect solar radiation. Roof Structure White-Painted Membrane Foamglas Plywood Truss System filled with Cellulose insulation Wooden Stud Walls with 8" Cellulose Insulation Wooden studs allow cold temperatures to be conducted through the wall. The air gap 8" Thick Compressed Earth Block walls Air Gap All interior walls are made of compressed earth blocks. About 600 tons of earth make up these block walls which function as a thermal mass. between the stud walls and earth block walls thus provides another barrier This mass helps to stabilize the temperature inside the building, keeping it cool in the between the outside and inside of the building and mitigates thermal bridging. summer and warm in the winter. The earth blocks were made by Sustainable Living students with earth excavated from campus. Earth Plaster and Clay Paint Painted Hardi Board Painted Concrete Finished Floor, bare or with various coverings Radiant In-Floor Heating Solar-heated tubes every 6" provide healthier quality heat than conventional heating. Concrete Floor has an R-value of 26 4" Foamglas Foamglas Compacted Gravel Foamglas is a cellular insulating board made primarily with sand, limestone, and soda ash. It is extremely resilient and long lasting with an R-value of 3.5 per inch. lo