Mountain Living Magazine
Net Zero and Beyond
About this article
Mountain Living, June 14, 2022 · Written by Brian Sipes
In this article for Mountain Living, Brian Sipes describes how Sipes Architects helped Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon create staff housing designed for net-zero annual energy, meaning the buildings use no net energy from the grid over a year. Walking Mountains had long wanted to address the valley’s affordable housing shortage by housing some of its educators. The guiding principle is in the subtitle: the most sustainable energy is the energy a building never uses. That meant a tight, well-insulated envelope, windows that perform well beyond code, all-electric systems and as much rooftop solar as the roofs could hold. The Educator Housing buildings, completed in 2020, have since performed beyond net zero and have not had an energy bill since completion.
“The most sustainable energy is energy not used.”
— Brian Sipes
Published in Mountain Living. Related project: Walking Mountains Educator Housing. The full article appears below.
