Kamerman Construction is proud to be a leader in the Gallatin Valley of Montana in the Green Building Industry. We are pleased to offer several products that can make your building project more eco-friendly.
We offer Premier SIP panels that can offer up to 60% savings on your heating and cooling bills.
Kamerman Construction is also please to offer Clawson Windows and Doors. Clawson has two window lines that offer an energy star rating.
The first series of window is the Clawson Montana Series window. This is extruded aluminum clad window with a wood trim interior. This window line has a U-0.34 rating. This aluminum clad window is also available in a larch finish as well.
The second series is a vinyl window series. The Clawson window uses an extruded vinyl window frame and sash. This vinyl window package also allows us to meet energy codes for your home in a log home or a SIP building.
SUSTAINABLE NORTH SLOPE OBTAINABLE The NEW Green Window from Clawson. Introducing a simple, natural way to promote green living and protect the environment, while enjoying the beauty and benefits of one of he world's greenest windows. And it's manufactured right here in the Northern Rockies. The NorthSlope by Clawson utilizes larch harvested through a process that restores the forests of the Northern Rockies to their old growth conditions. By thinning these small trees from overcrowded stands, we allow the larger trees to thrive, taking the concept of sustainable a step beyond. This window highlights the beautiful honey-and-cinnamon grain and dark pinhole knots of "small-diameter" larch (or tamarack) that has been culled from forest restoration sites. Its inherent artistry will compliment any interior. The NorthSlope incorporates the most energy efficient spacer system with the best performance Low E glass to offer unmatched thermal performance. Because these products are manufactured by U.S. regional glass makers, there is the added value of still greater "locally sourced" benefits. The window qualifies for several different categories of points under the "green building" systems of both LEED and NAHB while meeting Energy Star ratings. Available in a wide variety of styles, the window is produced locally by Clawson Windows of Missoula, Montana, with over 50 years experience in window manufacturing, in partnership with North Slope Sustainable Wood LLC, also of Missoula, maker of "Treadlight" brand larch flooring and wood. |
(Fife, WA) - Construction is coming to a close on the campus of Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs, WY, where a four-story student housing complex is being built using Premier Building Systems' structural insulated panels (SIPs). Premier's SIPs were used to frame out the entire building, including exterior and interior walls as well as the roof, making this one of the tallest self-supporting SIPs structures ever built.
Kamerman Construction, located in Bozeman, MT, installed the SIPs, which consisted of 6-inch-thick exterior wall panels, 4-inch-thick interior wall panels and 12-inch-thick roof panels. Installation of the SIPs for this 28,000-square-foot building began in February 2008 and was completed only five weeks later, a testament to the labor savings that SIPs can provide compared to traditional framing techniques.
"We have been using SIPs for the past 13 years, but we've never used them on a project of this size and magnitude," said Glen Kamerman, owner of Kamerman Construction. "It would have taken us an additional two or three weeks to frame out a building this size if we had used steel or wood frames versus the SIPs."
According to Kamerman, the college opted for SIP construction for two primary reasons - energy efficiency and durability. SIPs have been proven to provide building owners with up to 60% in annual energy savings, and they are significantly stronger and more durable than traditionally framed buildings.
All of the SIPs used for this project were custom fabricated by Premier Building Systems at its manufacturing facility in Fife WA, which added to the overall speed and ease of the project. Premier's engineering department also helped design the building in compliance with all applicable codes.
Known as the Wind River Hall, the construction of the new student-housing complex will be completed and ready for occupancy in time for the 2008/2009 school year.
Premier Building Systems leads the construction industry in the research, development and manufacturing of high-performance, energy-efficient structural insulated panels and innovative construction framing materials. Headquartered in Fife, WA, Premier operates manufacturing facilities in Fife and Phoenix, AZ. For more information about the products and services offered by Premier, call 800.275.7086 or visit www.pbssips.com.
Western Wyoming Community College, the fifth of seven community colleges in Wyoming, was established in the fall of 1959. Western Wyoming Community College is under the control of a locally elected Board of Trustees responsible for governing Western Wyoming Community College District. It is a public, tax-supported, co-educational, two-year community college. For more information call 307.382.1600 or visit www.wwcc.wy.edu/2.htm
When the 2008/2009 school year kicked off at the Western Wyoming Community College (Western) in Rock Springs, WY this fall, students were greeted by a new state-of-the-art, 28,000-square-foot Housing Complex that features 48 bedrooms spread throughout four stories. Wind River Hall has everything a college student could ask for, including 12 individual bedrooms, six fully functional kitchens and three spacious living rooms per floor.
Before Wind River Hall was designed, extensive research was conducted at institutions throughout the United States to determine student preferences regarding residence hall room arrangements. "Many students express the desire to be social yet also have the opportunity for privacy. Wind River Hall is designed with these wants in mind," said Jon Schrade, Western's Director of Housing and Student Activities.
While Wind River Hall meets the need for both social and private spaces through a spacious layout, it is the building's innovative construction that truly makes it unique. Framed entirely out of structural insulated panels (SIPs) manufactured by Premier Building Systems in FIFE, WA, Wind River Hall is the tallest self-supporting SIPs structure ever built.
Consisting of an expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation core sandwiched between two layers of oriented strand board (OSB), Sips are a dependable, cost-effective building solution that addresses four issues on the minds of virtually every school official involved in the construction process - energy efficiency, lifecycle costs and both environmental and indoor air quality.
Buildings account for nearly 30% of all energy consumption in the United States. As oil and gas prices continue to rise, many publicly funded schools are experiencing higher than expected heating and cooling costs that are cutting into their delicate budgets.
SIPs are used in lieu of traditional framing materials such as wood and steel studs. Studies conducted by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, TN, have shown that SIP's can help reduce a building's annual energy costs by 50% - 60% when compared to more common framing methods.
Because of their energy efficiency, SIPs are also recognized by a number of governmental groups, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE). The ENERGY STAR® program, administered by the EPA, has waived the need for a blower door test on any building constructed with SIPs. DOE officials have also said that the $2,000 Federal Energy Tax Credit is virtually impossible to gain without SIPs.
While Energy savings are the most obvious benefit of using SIPs, this product also provides numerous other opportunities for building owners to improve their return on investment by reducing a building's lifecycle costs.
SIPs are prefabricated to the exact specifications of a project and delivered to the job-site ready to install. This results in a more efficient installation and helps eliminate the costly removal of construction waste. SIPs are also easier and more efficient to install than competitive systems, reducing construction time and minimizing labor costs.
In addition to enhanced time and energy savings, SIPs provide more strength and durability than stick- and steel-framed buildings. The increased durability is ideal for college environments, where students often take advantage if their newfound independence by turning campus buildings into their own personal punching bags. With SIPs, colleges get a dependable, long-lasting structure that can withstand constant abuse.
SIPs may also allow for a reduction in the size of a building's HVAC equipment by up to 40%, which means lower upfront costs for equipment purchases and a reduction in future maintenance costs.
Colleges are increasingly turning to green building practices as a way to entice new students, reduce their carbon footprints and receive government grants, subsidies and tax incentives.
By utilizing SIPs, buildings can earn up to 23 points within the LEED Green Building Rating System™, the nation's predominant green building program administered by the United States Green Building Council. SIPs also contribute to the $2,000 Federal Energy Tax Incentive, as well as a number of other tax programs that can help put money back into a university's budget.
The EPA lists poor air quality as the fourth-largest environmental threat to our country, a problem that is often overlooked during the construction process. Recent studies indicate that poor indoor air quality can have significant effects on respiratory illnesses as well as the overall health, achievement and productivity of a building's occupants.
The best way to mitigate the causes of poor indoor air quality is to create an airtight building envelope. The airtight nature of SIPs helps improve indoor air quality and reduce unwanted air transfer by reducing gaps in the building envelope.
An unsealed building envelope allows unwanted infiltration of common pollutants such as radon, molds, pollen, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), lead dust and asbestos. By using SIPs to protect the indoor environment from these toxins, colleges can improve the health of their student body while providing them with the best possible atmosphere for educational success.
For More information on SIPs and the many benefits they provide, contact Becky Laybourn at 800.275.7086 or info@pbssips.com. Laybourn is the marketing director for Premier Building Systems, North America's largest manufacturer of structural insulated panels.
Refuge Sustainable Building Center
Refuge Sustainable Building Center promotes sustainability in the built environment through sales of products which respect human health and the natural world. We strive to maximize social and environmental wellness while maintaining financial profitability.
Contact Us Today and we can help make your SIP Panel Green building come together!
14305 Churchill Rd. - Manhattan, MT 59741
Phone: (406) 282-7787
E-mail: info@kcbuildmt.com
