News
Stabilized
Insulated
Rammed
Earth
Building A Legacy With SIREWALLS: Sublette County Library Addition Is A Gift For Generations to Come
May 28, 2009
This Sunday, the ribbon will be cut, cake will be served and a celebration will begin for the new addition to the Sublette County Library. But this party will go on, since the addition will blend beautifully into its natural surroundings and become a gift for generations to come. Phase II of the Library includes insulated rammed earth wall features. The Library’s SIREWALLS® are a new global standard for durable, healthy, energy efficient buildings that are stunning legacies for the community.
Meror Krayenhoff, Founder of SIREWALL and Terra Firma Builders who resides in British Columbia, Canada, abandoned current building practices and took lessons from ancient civilizations to create SIREWALL. Stabilized, Insulated Rammed Earth, SIREWALL, is typically 18″ to 24″ thick, stabilized with rebar and has 4″ of rigid insulation hidden in the centre of the wall. These eye-catching walls have the strength and beauty of sedimentary sandstone inside and out, with hidden insulation in between. SIREWALLS have a distinctive, visceral connection to the earth that are not only attractive focal points, they are solid foundations with thermal mass and efficiency beyond any other type of wall.
SIREWALL Project Manager Joss Krayenhoff worked with Carney Architects under extreme cold (minus 25F) and built with a team of enthusiastic local laborers for this, the first commercial SIREWALL project constructed in the United States. The results, according to the Library’s architects, are exceptional:
“When we set out to do rammed earth for this important public building in Pinedale, we knew there was no room for experimental or exotic construction, or any system whose performance we could not count on… It [SIREWALL] has succeeded beyond our best expectations and has become the talk of the town…”– John Carney, Founding Principal of Carney Architects
SIREWALL creates beautiful buildings that nourish our bodies instead of polluting them and stand the test of time as a legacy for future generations. With its ecological and health benefits, combined with beauty and durability, SIREWALLS are ideal for commercial buildings and residential homes that will create a lasting legacy.
Media, Photos: Direct SIREWALL / Terra Firma Builders inquiries to Diana Mulvey at 1.604.340.1847 Carney Architects inquiries to 307.733.4000
Grand Opening: Sublette County Library – sublettecountylibrary.org
Information: SIREWALL and Terra Firma Builders (SIREWALL Licensed Builder): 1.250.537.9355
We are growing: Join SIREWALL’s inspirational team that is growing in Canada, the USA and around the globe: www.sirewall.com
SIREWALL’s mission is to positively impact the environment and people’s health via the built environment, for now and for the future. SIREWALLS are stabilized, insulated, rammed earth walls. SIREWALLS are constructed with a matrix of local soils strengthened with rebar and a small percentage of cement that surround a core of insulation. From a dream home or cottage to a winery or cultural centre, SIREWALL builds beautiful walls with timeless distinction. With its network of Apprentices, SIREWALL Project Managers and Licensees, SIREWALL continues to develop a global standard for healthy, energy efficient homes and buildings that are beautiful legacies for future generations.