SIP TRAVEL PLAZA FLAGSTAFF AZ

2021 SIPA Building Excellence Award Entry

Navajo Blue Travel Plaza Center - Twin Arrows Rd & Resort Blvd
Flagstaff, AZ 86001

Participant Information:
Company Name: Enercept Inc.
Contact Name: Jon Wagar, 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: Commercial/Industrial/Institutional Buildings under 10,000 sq. ft.

Project Information:
Project Name: Navajo Blue Travel Plaza Center
Twin Arrows Rd & Resort Blvd / Twin Arrows Casino
Flagstaff, AZ  86001

Date completed: June 2020

Total cost of project: $11.5M
 
Dimensions of building:  180' x 53'

Total sq. ft. of conditioned space: 9,510 sq. ft.

Built by:
Company Name: Rock Gap Construction
Contact Name: Keith Keets:
6759 Academy Road NE
Albuquerque, NM   87109
Phone: 480-710-6432

Panels Manufactured by: Enercept Inc.

Designed by:
Native Encompass
Todd Downs
106 E Jefferson Street
La Grange, KY  40031
Phone: 502-992-5105
 
Describe the end use of the building:
A unique travel plaza that introduces guests to Dine' culture. Navajo Blue features an all-new dining and retail experience with premium resort-style restrooms, showers, and laundry services for truckers, and travelers.

How did SIP construction help you get this job?
The Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise's "Let's Build a Business" program called for college students and college graduates (interns) to work on the Navajo Blue Travel Plaza. The participants focused on Navajo Blue's sustainability framework. With this in mind, the architect specified SIPs for the project.

SIP wall thickness and core material: 6" walls with 10" gable walls - EPS insulating core
SIP roof thickness and core material: 10" roof panels with EPS core
 
Describe the benefits of using SIPs on this project. Did SIPs help save time, labor, construction costs, or energy?
Using SIPs saved time because of the angles built into the walls and roof. The ready-to-assemble panels were easier to install than framing the design.

Describe any innovative design elements or structural engineering involved:
To run the walls into the parapet walls as high as possible, meant there would be a ledger with hanging roof trusses on the inside of the walls. This involved engineering input on bracing for the parapet walls.

Describe the HVAC system used on the project:
The building is heated utilizing liquid propane gas, and cooled with three Lennox packaged rooftop units with an EER of 12.0. The RTU's are 15, 10, and 3 nominal tons with economizers for 100% outside air, for free cooling when the outside air temperature is less than the return air temperature. The exhaust systems in the building utilize high efficiency brush-less electronical commutated motors with electronic speed control.

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:
Windows are Arcadia Thermally broken aluminum with Solarban 60 glazing. U Value of glazing is 0.29.
High efficiency doors were utilized for accessibility and safety due to local high winds.

Please list any energy-efficient products or design features, such as lighting, hot water heating, appliances, passive solar: 
Utilization of LED fixtures reduced with lighting demand of the facility (34,911 VA lighting demand of a total demand of 568,812 VA for a 6.14%) The lighting density is 2.19 VA/sq. ft. (interior lighting: 20,758 VA for a total interior area of approximately 9,458 sq. ft.
The parking lot LED lighting is equipped with a solar charging system.

Please list any sustainable materials or design features not listed above, such as recycled materials, low-VOC finishes, landscaping, etc.:
The inner surface of the SIP panels was used as an exposed finish, reducing the use of sheetrock and other materials.
Boulders that were excavated during construction were utilized as landscape features and basis for a sculptural fountain outside the main entry.

Any additional comments on the project:
The "Let's Build a Business" program focuses on expanding Navajo minority priority businesses including Rock Gap Engineering and Native Encompass.
During the Navajo Blue construction phase, Navajo Gaming created 200 jobs, 95% of which were Dine' workers.

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