DUXTON Windows & Doors is very pleased to be a partner in the Airdrie Environmental Education Centre, which represents a unique commitment by this innovative municipality to greater environmental sensitivity for future generations. Airdrie is a rapidly growing community just north of Calgary, Alberta.
The Municipality of Airdrie has been operating a recycling depot for a number of years. More recently, they made a decision to build an education center within the recycling compound. This center will be open to the public and will be equipped with resources to assist with the dissemination of environmental information.
Orian Low designed the project with Jorg Ostrowski, who also acted as project manager for this design/built project. The straw bale wall system was used as it demonstrates excellent use of resources, provides superior insulation AND has been proven in other local applications. For further information, please see details below. Their previous public demonstration project was the Alberta Sustainable Home/Office in Calgary which has now had about 50,000 visitors from around the world. For more visit http://www.ecobuildings.net. Jorg Ostrowski has now been responsible for 4 public demonstration projects with over 100,000 visitors, since 1976.
DUXTON Windows consulted with Jorg Ostrowski and his team to create a package which would combine optimal environmental stewardship with maximum energy efficiency, healthy materials, occupant comfort, passive solar heat gain, resistance to heat loss and condensation, low maintenance, durability, and high resale values. After considerable work with key suppliers, an exceptional package of fiberglass windows (support from Inline Fiberglass) and Heat Mirror glass (support of Southwall Tech and Sunlite Glass) as well as fiberglass doors (Fibercraft Doors) were selected.
"We like many features of pultruded fiberglass including the inert nature of the material," says Ostrowski, "Furthermore, we chose DUXTON because they tend to lead the industry in glazing selection AS WELL as "state-of-the-art" and "leading- edge" window technology. DUXTON demonstrated that again with an operable window with a 4 Pane R-16 (COG) Heat Mirror / Krypton sealed unit."
DUXTON Windows & Doors is committed to participating in leading edge projects such as this. It provides the company with important feedback on community interest as well as performance characteristics through monitored results. Specifically, architect Minoru Ueda has been hired to provide initial assessment of the building envelope.
"We need to demonstrate our commitment to reduced consumption in the interest of future generations", says Al Dueck, General Manager of DUXTON, "We will continue to develop products which reduce energy consumption in all ways - from production through the products' life cycle."
For further information, please contact us,
Participants who attended one of several public "hands-on" strawbale workshops.
The volunteer team which was on site on Oct 13, 2001 during their Workshop of the weekend.
Yours truly and Jorg Ostrowski, designer/builder extraordinaire . . one who lives, works and breathes sustainable development as few do (More info at http://www.ecobuildings.net ).