Starting the design of the envelope we first needed to understand the role the envelope plays in the structure of the station. After some research we determined the three main functions of a building envelope. Using these functions we worked with the green building team to discover what materials would best meet our project goals and fulfill the function of the envelope.

Function of the Envelope

Insulate: Reduce Active heating and cooling load.

Ventilate: Reduce moisture complications such as mold mildew and ice damage.

Tight Seal: Optimize effectiveness of insulation, moisture control, and too keep unwanted pests out.

Insulation:

To properly insulate the tiny research station we chose Havelock wool insulation. This insulation is sheep's wool and is a bi-product of the meat industry. Wool insulation meets our green building standards and provides a R value of 4.3 per inch. In order to achieve a higher overall insulation value we built a secondary stud wall to contain more insulation.

Ventilation:

Our original plan to properly ventilate the space and avoid moisture was to make the ceiling flat and vent from the gable ends of the station. However, after meeting with the SIGA rep. we determined that using their product will eliminate the moisture problem. Majrex allowed us to keep the ceiling angle, however, we still needed to increase the amount of insulation by adding studs to the existing ceiling.

To ventilate the rest of the TRS  we purchased the LUNOS eGo system. This system provides continuous ventilation throughout the space and eliminates the need for duct work. LUNOS eGo also has an 85% heat recovery efficiency.

Tight Seal:

To keep pests out and ensure our ventilation and Insulation systems work properly we used SIGA products. These products include house wrap, insulation web, and various tape products. In order to test the tightness of our building we conducted a blower door test before installing the SIGA products as well as used a fog machine to locate leaks. We plan to complete the tests again after completion of the envelope.

Our final envelope can be summarized as a 9 layer system.