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| It was an eye-opening project  In an effort to encourage innovative, energy-efficient design, CertainTeed Corporation's Insulation Group has teamed up with Philadelphia University for the inaugural CertainTeed Multi-Comfort House Competition. The competition challenged Philadelphia University School of Architecture students to design a corporate headquarters following the Multi-Comfort concept, which calls for a well insulated, air tight building envelope, environmental protection and maximum occupant comfort. The Multi-Comfort concept was developed by Saint-Gobain Isover in Paris, a sister company of CertainTeed."Creating healthy, comfortable, and energy-efficient homes with high-quality insulation products is our core business," said Eric Brown, director of marketing for CertainTeed Insulation. "We commend Philadelphia University for engaging its students in a forward-thinking academic programs in architecture and sustainable design, and we are thrilled to support its efforts." "The future of architecture and design is changing in response to emerging information regarding the cultural implications of energy resources, environmental changes and technology," said Robert Fryer, assistant professor of architecture at Philadelphia University. "The architecture and sustainable design programs at Philadelphia University already are incorporating these challenges, and it's essential that we engage businesses, like CertainTeed, that share this concern to design a healthier, more humane built environment." The team consisting of architecture students Tim Brennan, Dan Mellon and Vinny Sickles, incorporated a green roof, integrated geothermal system and CertainTeed's versatile insulation products into their grand-prize-winning design. The students continued on to the international Multi-Comfort House Competition in Slovenia, where 144 students from 16 countries shared their designs. CertainTeed covered travel expenses for the students and the local Philadelphia office of Atlantic Exhibits donated exhibit materials for the international competition. "It was an eye-opening project," Mellon said. "This is an awesome opportunity and it is exciting to see other projects from all over the world." The key objective of the Multi-Comfort approach is to build residential and non-residential buildings without conventional heating or cooling systems. Buildings and homes call for higher levels of insulation than conventional methods and are heated by passive means such as solar radiation through the windows and the heat produced by occupants and appliances. When built to Multi-Comfort standards, energy savings of up to 75 percent can be achieved. write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Construction News :: home page |