Jun 22 2005
BASF donated foam made from its Styropor expandable polystyrene (EPS) resin for Insulspan, Blissfield, Mich., to produce structural insulated panels (SIPs) for building the Sustainable Resource House, a 1,200-sq.-ft., single-family dwelling that will be displayed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., June 23-July 4, as part of the annual Smithsonian Institution Folklife Festival.
Built cooperatively by the Structural Insulated Panels Association, APA - The Engineered Wood Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Products Laboratory and the Southern Pine Council, the Sustainable Resource House will demonstrate advancements in engineered wood products and other technologies that promote energy efficiency in affordable housing during the festival, which will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the USDA Forest Service. Following the Folklife Festival, the Sustainable Resource House will be dismantled and moved to North Carolina, where it will be reconstructed and donated to Habitat for Humanity.
“Insulspan SIPs are more energy efficient than conventional thermal insulation products and also produce homes that are more durable and better able to withstand severe weather conditions,” said Frank Baker, President of Insulspan. “We are working in conjunction with BASF to support the Sustainable Resource House because we want to demonstrate that improving the energy efficiency and overall performance of homes by using SIPs is as tangible for affordable housing as it is for custom-built homes.”
“Styropor EPS provides the best cost-to-R-Value ratio of thermal insulation foams, and is increasingly being used in applications like SIPs or insulated concrete forms that support ‘green’ building practices,” said Jack Armstrong, Business Manager for BASF’s Styropor EPS business in North America. “BASF’s commitment to bringing tangible solutions for sustainable development in the building and construction market is demonstrated by supporting programs like the Sustainable Resource House.”
Armstrong said that BASF’s Styropor EPS business also works closely with the Sustainable Building Industry Council (SBIC), the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), GREENGUARD and McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) to bring sustainable development solutions to the building and construction market.
“Styropor EPS received the GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified® designation from Air Quality Sciences, Inc., as a low-emitting material that helps manufacturers create healthier and safer indoor environments,” said Armstrong. “Also, MBDC previously announced that Styropor EPS resins have strong attributes of environmental sustainability in that they can be used and recycled in thermal insulation applications after conducting a rigorous evaluation of the ‘environmental health and intelligence’ of the material.”
Later this year, BASF will build the Paterson (N.J.) Showhouse Project as part of BASF’s Better Home, Better Planet Initiative in which the company features “green,” energy-conservation building practices and technologies. The Paterson Showhouse will showcase for architects, builders, government officials and other parties interested in pursuing “green design solutions” how healthy, energy-efficient homes can be built economically with materials that also enhance homes’ durability and aesthetic appeal.
The Paterson Showhouse will incorporate Zero Energy Housing (ZEH) concepts from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and building science principles from PATH (Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing) / Build America expert Steve Winter, AIA. Once the construction and demonstration phases are completed at year-end, the BASF Paterson Showhouse will be donated to St. Michael’s Housing Corporation, Paterson, N.J. This organization will then turn over the home to Richard Sosa, a quadriplegic boy, and his family to occupy. The Paterson Showhouse is designed to accommodate their special needs. Armstrong added that other activities by BASF’s Styropor EPS business to promote sustainable development in housing and construction this year include sponsoring the first C2C (Cradle to Cradle) Home Design and Construction Competition that is expected to result in building 10 to 30 affordable, sustainable houses in Roanoke, Va., that achieve the standards described in ‘Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things’ by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, who head MBDC, and the Sarah Susanka ‘Not So Big Showhouse’ that continues to be on display in the Orlando, Fla., area, as well as exhibiting at Ecobuild America 2005 this month.