SIP HOUSE AND WORKSHOP CRESTED BUTTE, CO

2021 SIPA Building Excellence Award Entry

The Betz Barn
Crested Butte, CO 81224

Participant Information:
Company Name: Enercept, Inc
Contact Name: Jon Golz, Roberta Bartel, or Joe Pasma
3100 9th Ave SE
Watertown, SD  57201
Phone: 605-882-2222
Email: rbartel@enercept.com
Website: www.enercept.com
 
Category: Single Family Homes over 3,000 sq. ft.

Project Information:
Project Name: Betz Barn
Crested Butte, CO 81224

Date completed: May 2020
 
Total cost of project: $1.3M
 
Dimensions of building:
Main level: 80' x 36' with 14' x 47'
Bump out and 29' x 36' garage
Upper level: 48' x 36'

Total sq. ft. of conditioned space: 5,200 sq. ft.
 
Built by:
Company Name: C & C Construction
Contact Name: Chris Young
201 S Church
Orangeville, IL 61032
Phone: 815-541-3338

Panels Manufactured by: Enercept SIPs
 
Designed by:
Company Name: Ben White Architecture
Contact Name: Ben White
PO Box 2921
Crested Butte, CO  81224
Phone: 970-349-5378

Describe the end use of the building:
The Betz Barn is a private residence with an attached workshop and garage.

How did SIP construction help you get this job?
The building location is in Crested Butte, CO at an elevation of 8,920 feet. This creates a short window of time to get the envelope up and dried in. The speed of SIP construction was important to the owner. Also of concern at this elevation were snow loads, as they average 300" of snow annually. The superior strength of SIPs made them the preferred method of construction for this project.

SIP wall thickness and core material:  6" walls with EPS insulating core
SIP roof thickness and core material:  12" roof with EPS insulating core
 
Describe the benefits of using SIPs on this project. Did SIPs help save time, labor, construction costs, or energy?
By building with SIPs, they were able to break ground in July and have the building dried in before the snow came. The entire project was completed in less than 12 months. To date, the highest heating bill for the 5,000 sq. ft. house/shop was $140.00.

Describe any innovative design elements or structural engineering involved:
The panels were engineered and designed to support a ground snow load of 109# psf, and wind speed (ultimate) of 115 mph, Exposure 'C'.

Blower door test results (ACH50):
The customer had a supply issue with our garage doors so this test was performed without the 5 garage doors installed to satisfy County requirements. They had 3mil plastic covering the penetrations.  Air infiltration rate for code compliance Volume 79,798; CFM 50 = 1285; ACH 50 = 0.97; ACH N = 0.068 The home is very tight. It exchanges 6.7% of its volume of air with the exterior per hour.

Describe the HVAC system used on the project:
The home/shop is conditioned with a 2 1/2 ton Water Furnace Geothermal forced air for heating and cooling.
Viessmann CU3A 160,000 btuh boiler for all in floor radiant and domestic hot water. Sized to allow for power washing during the winter months. The house also has gypcrete with embedded radiant for the 2nd floor. An HRV is incorporated for fresh air exchange.

Describe any other energy-saving materials used in the building envelope other than SIPs. List U-values of windows used and the U or R-value of any insulation materials:
They installed Marvin Integrity double pane, low E, aluminum clad windows.

Please list any energy-efficient products or design features, such as lighting, hot water heating, appliances, passive solar: 
The house is illuminated throughout with LED lighting.
The home has two kitchens, both are equipped with energy efficient Kitchenaid appliances.

Please list any sustainable materials or design features not listed above, such as recycled materials, low-VOC finishes, landscaping, etc.:
They used reclaimed wood on garage door face and walk door, and reclaimed beetle kill timbers.

Any additional comments on the project:
The interior walls and ceiling/floor between levels are insulated with wool insulation. The owners are very pleased with the low utility costs and the quietness of their home. A section of the lower level is a 750 sq. ft. Airbnb rental that offers amazing mountain views, plus easy access to mountain biking, hiking trails, rivers, and snow skiing.

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