The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) Innovation Center is set to be the most efficient building in the US at the coldest climate zone in Basalt, Colorado. It is not only energy efficient, but considered net-zero, generating as much energy, if not more, than it uses. The building is 15,400 SF total & will be used an office & gathering space.
Going against the grain of typical project delivery, an IDP (Integrated Delivery Process) was used. This brings all of the players into the same room & discussing the project prior to construction. These players include the Owner, Engineers, Architects, General Contractor & some of the major subcontractors. These meetings are called "charettes" & help to foresee issues in the field prior to construction, saving the Owner substantial amounts of money throughout the time of the project. The contract is a Performance Contract with the risk AND reward shared as a team, in turn having everyone collectively solve problems instead of blame one another.
RMI wants to make sure that this building is easily replicable for the construction of more net-zero office buildings in the near future. The building size is similar to 90% of US office buildings. "RMI will teach how the building was contracted, designed, built,
commissioned, and operated; how it can be replicated; how it worked with
and for the community; and what RMI learned in the process"
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| The south side of the building will consist of white
material, reflecting heat. | |
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The north side of the
building will consist of grey material, absorbing heat.
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There is no furnace or boiler & passive solar techniques are used to heat & cool the building. The only mechanical systems in the building are for venting & a backup for heating. The exterior of the building is constructed of 12" thick SIPS (structural insulated panels) with R-values of 50 in the wall & 80 in the ceiling. The SIPS used are Premier SIPS as they are currently the only manufacturer who makes curved panels. On the interior walls, a product call BioPCM Thermal Storage Mats are installed behind the drywall to add thermal mass & improve insulation. The windows, instead of being Argon-filled, are Krypton-filled & achieve R-values of 7. Outside of the SIPs, an elastic membrane, called the Fire Resist Barritech NP by Carlisle, was applied. This product, with "the high film thickness and flexible, elastic properties enable Fire Resist Barritech NP to bridge cracks and seal around penetrations, which creates a truly continuous, monolithic air, vapor and water barrier."
Indoor air quality & thermal comfort are priorities for the building. With a blower door test already performing at .174 ACH (air changes per hour), airflow is VERY important! 0.6 ACH was the goal, which is the minimum to achieve the Passivhaus Standard. Operable windows help move fresh air throughout the building.There are CO2 detectors throughout the building that will automatically open the windows if CO2 levels get too high.
Set-point temperatures will range from 64-82 degrees; standard set-points are at 70-76 degrees. With a bigger swing in temperature, controlling one's personal temperature is the goal. By using a new technology called the Hyperchair, individuals can control individual heating & cooling from their chair, further eliminating the mechanical systems. Say goodbye to those energy-sucking space heaters!
Because greywater reuse is currently illegal in Colorado, RMI is assuming that this law will not last forever & are equipping their systems so that in the future, no potable water will be used to flush the toilets. Any irrigation needed for the landscaping will be supplied by rainwater & runoff, which is collected in a nearby pond. Because there is no mechanical room, the space is used for the greywater basin eventually used to flush the toilets.
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS:
The mock-up for the walls
cost about $35-40k. The added value cannot be
100% known, but is definitely worth the up-front costs! For example, the Owner
not liking the color of the masonry AFTER it is delivered to the site...
- The solar panels on the roof are projected to produce about 80kW. The building is anticipated to only need 77kW.
- A light shelf in the ceiling
reflects light into the entire space of the building, cutting down the need for
artificial lighting.
- The elevator runs on
vegetable oil.
- The Energy Use Index (EUI) is
set to be 17.2 kBTU/SF.
- A conventional building has
an EUI between 80-100, with LEED at 69 & a net-zero building at less than
30.
It is so exciting to have this building right in our backyard!
If you'd like to find out more, visit RMI's page here.
Fireclay produces tile, glass & glazed thin brick. The company seeks to be environmentally conscious throughout the production cycle, from manufacturing to shipment of product to its final destination. Not to mention, their customer service is top notch! About 80% of all Fireclay products come from recycled materials with the ceramic clay being a minimum of 70% recycled. As far as the glass tiles, those are 100% locally recycled, with the glass coming from products originally destined for the landfill, including toilets & Cathode Ray Tubes from discarded TVs.
Steve Novy with Greenline Architects was the Architect for this project & Evolve Structural Design was the structural engineer. We also had some very great subcontractors for the project!
As far as the siding, we used HardiBoard lap siding & HardiBoard board & batten siding. HardiBoard is known for its durability, weather resistance, fire protection & resistance against moisture or rot. We also utilized rusted corrugated metal for some of the siding & roofing. 
