KANSAS CITY, KS--(Marketwired - Jul 23, 2013) - ACH Foam Technologies' R-Control structural insulated panels (SIPs) caught the USGBC's attention for a public housing project in Kansas City. Public housing rarely gets the attention of the USGBC, but Oz Qureshi wants to change that. As Construction Manager for the Kansas City Housing Authority's YouthBuild program, Oz decided to make this single family home a standout example of how green building can benefit all stakeholders: the resident family, at-risk-youth who had the opportunity to build it, the taxpayers, and the environment.
"Homelessness is a social issue we can't control," said Qureshi. "But a poorly insulated home is something we can address. We wanted to demonstrate that, even with public housing, you can build as green as you want to go. And greener public housing helps to solve other contingent problems."
"Building energy efficient housing reduces evictions, which also reduces the amount the Housing Authority spends on turning over vacant units. This means the Housing Authority can spend that money on other capital improvement projects. It can also bring the cost of the utilities in line with the subsidy that some tenants receive. It's a win-win," explained Qureshi.
"We used every means possible to earn enough points to achieve the distinction of LEED Platinum on this house," said Qureshi. "SIPs were a key component to making it extremely energy efficient because of their high R-value. Everyone involved with the construction was impressed by the SIP panels. They not only went up quickly -- they are incredibly strong and straight."
"We personally requested the architects use SIPs for this project," commented Qureshi, "not only because we wanted a tight energy efficient envelope -- but also because the SIPs can be installed much faster than other building techniques. This is a huge advantage to a construction training program. We were under roof in just two weeks." According to Qureshi, it would have taken seven weeks to stick frame the home.
ACH Foam Technologies is an industry leader in EPS manufacturing, providing products for construction, geotechnical, packaging, and industrial applications. ACH recycles 100% of its post-industrial EPS and is actively involved in recycling post-consumer EPS as well.
