Trombe Walls Burlington VT
(802) 863-1202
Burlington, VT
(802) 651-4775
South Burlington, VT
(802) 864-2372
Burlington, VT
(802) 860-4099
Burlington, VT
(802) 860-4099
Burlington, VT
(802) 658-3880
Burlington, VT
Trombe Walls
Source: MASONRY CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
Publication date: February 1, 2007
By Shelby O. Mitchell
At the base of the Sangre De Christo Mountains in Taos, N. M., sits a small group of what appear to be traditional adobe pueblo homes. In reality, these are the Sueños del Cañon luxury condominiums, a cutting-edge model of sustainable development in Southwestern disguise.
Living Designs Group (LDG) and Dream-catcher Real Estate & Construction teamed up to create Sueños del Cañon as an affordable, ecological community. LDG is a consulting and design firm where engineers, architects, and ecologists work together to incorporate workable sustainable concepts into each of its design projects. The group's expertise includes water conservation, ecological preservation, and integrating interior and exterior environments to maintain a healthy “living design.” For this particular project, concrete masonry was a key part of LDG's energy conscious plan.
Because of its high thermal mass, masonry stays warm or cool longer than other materials, which reduces the strain on heating and cooling systems by moderating temperature changes inside a building. This feature makes masonry a prime material for projects geared toward energy conservation.
Special concrete block Trombe walls are being added to the wood frame construction of the Sueños del Cañon condo units to allow for passive solar gain.