Architects Thompson Naylor and Hartman Baldwin are working with Allen Associates to design and build an exemplar energy efficient, sustainable community in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, CA, built on an infill site.

They are certainly doing a lot to pull that off. All of the community’s electricity is generated through passive solar design and Photovoltaic panels, which heats hot water using solar thermal units. All lumber used in construction originated from sustainably harvested forests (FSC certified), and all concrete was mixed using a 50% fly ash mix. The development is also completely free of fossil fuels (except minor use in a backup heating system), and 100% of rainwater is retained and recycled on site.

An important design criteria for this sustainable community development was high acoustic performance. Why does sustainability require quiet? Because noise is the main reason people refuse to live in denser urban environments. No one likes hearing the neighbors and having one’s own privacy restricted. But, there’s no doubt that sustainable community living saves energy. A person’s carbon footprint can be reduced by 50% or more by moving into urban downtown centers like Victoria Gardens.

Noise reducing, “soundproofing”, building products specifically transform noisy, undesirable areas, not only in downtown areas, but also along highway and airport corridors, into comfortable, high quality living environments. Allen Associates used QuietRock soundproofing wall solutions for high noise reduction. QuietRock 525 is used throughout the development for reliable noise control.

The Victorian-styled centerpiece home of the development use fiberglass-framed, high full-frame R-value SeriousWindows 725 series throughout. The SeriousWindows fiberglass-framed systems contribute to the sustainable architecture - the inherent advantages of fiberglass (compared to aluminum or vinyl) include enhanced lifetime durability, higher thermal performance, and a lower embodied energy footprint.

The project has been registered for LEED® certification and expects to receive the level of Platinum (the highest possible). The Victorian centerpiece was completed just last year, and the three condominium residences are scheduled to be completed by early 2011.

To learn more about this project, go to www.victoriagardenmews.com.

The problem is building operations and materials consume (use) the most energy globally – of any other industry sector. The largest contributor to C02 generation is our buildings (52% vs. passenger cars of 9%).

We can re-invent and re-think how we build and re-build our buildings to save the most money, and save the most energy – beyond anything else. Going green has to be economical. It’s a tough challenge, but we’re doing it; building and homeowners are doing it; architects and developers are doing it.

Watch our CEO, Kevin Surace, speak to these points at the 2010 Sustainable Operations Summit by clicking here or the image above.

CW-Rated SeriousWindows™ feature highest thermal (up to R7) and structural ratings available

Sunnyvale, CA – June 9, 2010 – Serious Materials announced today it has launched a new line of extreme-energy-saving window products for the commercial building market. Heavy Commercial SeriousWindows Series are the first heavy commercial (CW) rated windows to deliver thermal performance of up to R-value 7.0 (U-value 0.14), over two times the thermal insulation of commonly specified aluminum thermally broken commercial windows (U-value 0.35). Incorporating SeriousGlass™ super-insulating glass units with fiberglass frames, Heavy Commercial SeriousWindows Series offer architects, builders, and building owners the next generation in energy efficient commercial window systems for substantial energy cost savings. Serious Materials will introduce Heavy Commercial SeriousWindows during the American Institute of Architects Convention and Expo, June 10-12, 2010 in Miami, FL.

Heavy Commercial SeriousWindows enable energy-efficient window strategies including passive heating and cooling coupled with maximum daylighting to significantly reduce energy load and greatly improve the environment for building occupants. In addition, the inherent advantages of fiberglass over aluminum framing systems include enhanced lifetime durability, higher thermal performance, and a lower embodied energy footprint.

“With today’s higher industry standards for thermal efficiency, it’s absolutely critical we enable our customers to build and rebuild with energy performance and savings as a top priority”, said Ian Sullivan, General Manager, Windows & Glass Division of Serious Materials. “Not only does this system exceed anything else in the market by 38% in thermal performance, but also a CW100 rating with outstanding air and water numbers puts this product in a class of its own.”

Thermal Performance

Available in full-frame high R-values up to R-7.0, this new SeriousWindows Series is ideal for commercial new construction and retrofit particularly in extreme heating- or cooling- dominated climates where high R-value glass is needed. With a full range of low and high solar heat gain glass packages, SeriousWindows enable solar control according to climate zone and orientation for maximum energy efficiency and comfort benefits.

Superior Air and Water Tightness, Structural Ratings

With proprietary fused corner joints, Heavy Commercial SeriousWindows feature industry leading air and water infiltration rates. SeriousWindows are AAMA Gold rated with industry-leading air infiltration of less than 0.01 and water penetration (15 psf).

The Fiberglass Advantage

Fiberglass-framed commercial windows offer significant advantages compared to traditional aluminum, vinyl, or wood framing materials – offering super-insulating and structural performance, lower embodied energy, and new design choice. According to the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) Pultrusion Industry Council and the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) Fiberglass Material Council:

• Fiberglass’ thermal conductivity is 800 times less than aluminum, making it the optimum material for super-insulating windows and preserving overall performance for the life of a window.
• Low thermal expansion maintains the windows’ structural integrity and minimizes warping or leakage, making fiberglass the most durable framing material that will not compromise the performance of the full window over time.
• Fiberglass particularly resists environmental damage caused by corrosive salt air or high temperatures.
• Comparing U-value of materials, fiberglass offers 89% better insulation than aluminum (fiberglass U-value is 0.2 – 0.3 compared to aluminum thermally broken of U-value 1.0).
• Superior strength to weight ratios making Heavy Commercial SeriousWindows ideal for large window openings - 86% of the yield strength of aluminum and, pound-for-pound’s, stronger than aluminum in the lengthwise direction.
• Pultruded fiberglass distributes impact load to prevent surface damage even in sub-zero temperatures.

The Anti-Triple Pane Window

Whereas other commercial windows use three panes of glass to achieve higher insulation performance, SeriousGlass units incorporate suspended film systems that create multiple chambers for high thermal performance. Heavy Commercial SeriousWindows are available in either dual chamber (one film layer) or triple chamber (two film layers) SeriousGlass packages. Beyond super-insulating performance, these SeriousGlass systems achieve high light transmission and 99+% UV blockage through the combination of multiple chambers and low-e coating glass surfaces. Up to 50% lighter than triple-pane windows, SeriousWindows eliminate the weight issues of the older triple-pane design approach. Proven in thousands of commercial and residential projects over nearly 30 years, SeriousGlass has been consistently certified at the Insulating Glass Certification Council’s “A” level over more than two decades, and has been installed in extreme climates and high humidity commercial and residential applications.

About Serious Materials

Serious Materials develops and manufactures sustainable advanced building materials that save energy, save money, improve comfort, and help address climate change. Serious Materials’ products are manufactured in the company’s 5 factories across North America. For more information, visit www.SeriousMaterials.com.

Press Contact:

Valerie Jenkins

vjenkins@seriousmaterials.com

1-408-636-6329