The six-story Village Suites sustainable student housing project in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, was constructed with 30,000 LOGIX Platinum Series blocks. These ICFs consist of silver-gray insulation materials made of BASF's Neopor instead of traditional white expandable polystyrene insulation. Contractors used 10-inch LOGIX blocks in the parking garage while the residence hall structure was built with 8-inch LOGIX blocks for the main floor and 6-inch blocks on the other floors. Additionally, contractors used LOGIX to build rooftop parapets and LOGIX KD Platinum blocks were built around rebar cages.
The 270,000-sqare-foot structure was completed in 2010 and according to LOGIX is the largest ICF building in Canada. The J-shaped building has 536 window openings and also incorporates rooftop PV solar array and cisterns for rainwater collection. Designed For LEED Platinum Certification, the structure is projected to perform with 75 percent heating and cooling energy savings and 50 percent electricity and water savings.
"We launched LOGIX Platinum Series in early 2010 and it has quickly become the ICF of choice for building owners looking for additional comfort and energy efficiency," says Andy Lennox, vice president, marketing for LOGIX Insulated Concrete Forms Ltd. "LOGIX Platinum Series, made with BASF Neopor, provides significantly more R-value without increasing wall thickness. Energy modeling studies completed for the Village Suites project indicate the building will see a reduction of 75 percent in annual heating and cooling costs compared to a structure built to minimum building code which is just outstanding."
LOGIX took home first place in the heavy construction category at the 6th Annual ICF Builder Awards on January 18, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the World of Concrete and was also named winner in the mid to high-rise residential category at the Ontario Concrete Awards on December 1, 2010, in Toronto, Canada.
"BASF is proud to work with LOGIX on the first major use of Neopor in North America," said Aaron Wood, BASF's North American marketing manager for the global foams business. "Because ICFs made of Neopor require less raw material than standard white ICFs, they use less material without sacrificing insulation performance, and save cost and resources with less impact to the environment," said Wood.
Neopor is different from traditional EPS because it contains graphite particles that reflect thermal radiation, reducing heat loss and improving insulation capacity.
Village Suites is the largest project in Canada designed to a LEED Platinum standard, one of the highest environmental sustainability standards for buildings.
For more information about Neopor, please visit www.neopor.basf.us. For more information about BASF Sustainable Building Products, please visit www.construction.basf.us . For more information about LOGIX ICFs, please visit www.logixicf.com.
