Powderlight

Award Criteria

Architectural Excellence

Each building is designed as a double stacked, 2-core, 3-story walk-up approach resulting in an incredible 93% efficiency ratio of livable area vs gross floor area. Due to the 3-story approach, project accessibility can be accommodated without an elevator. Each of the 4- and 5-bedroom units have double occupancy with 2 shared bathrooms each. Each unit has a common kitchen and living space. Since the programs within the unit were commonly stacked both horizontally and vertically within the plan, the footprint and elevation have a very rational and tasteful undulation. This vertical undulation mimics the surrounding mountains. While the horizontal moves mimic the adjacent stream. These big quiet moves are easily achieved utilizing volumetric modular and result in a project that is tastefully simple and visually appealing.

Technical Innovation & Sustainability

The design team, with the developer, has come to understand that simplification in mechanical systems is essential in achieving an efficient volumetric modular project. In the summer mechanical cooling is not required. In the winter, shorter days, shading from the adjacent hills and increased wind speeds all acting on the building resulted in the need for a holistic building approach to ensure properly tempered units. Within the controlled environment factory, a perfect and complicated wall system was efficiently delivered. This wall system is combined with a super insulated and air-sealed floor cavity and an increase in thickness at the roof. This holistic system is incredibly airtight, well-insulated and efficient to heat. The heat is provided by low-cost electric cove heaters that result in reduced energy bills for all parties. All-in-all, the mechanical approach is a perfect match for a busy plant and final remote location with a lack of labor to maintain the product.

Cost Effectiveness

The high cost of construction and smaller overall labor pool in mountain towns like Big Sky, MT make it very appealing to pursue volumetric modular as a delivery method. As part of Lone Mountain Land Company’s objective to provide quality workforce housing for our community, it is important to us to collaborate with experienced teams who routinely deliver great projects. This enables us to find ways to push the limits and use the latest technology and methods available to us, which will, in turn, deliver projects on budget. Not only did we achieve cost effectiveness through considerably reducing the onsite work, we reduced the overall duration of the project. The design team, led by 359 Design, achieved the owner's project requirements due to their experience with modular construction and their understanding of the modular process. Working under a design-assist contract, Langlas & Associates, the contractor, worked with the design team throughout the early phases of the project.