Cold Climate Housing Research Center
955 Draanjik Drive
UAF photo by Nicole Behr
The building and infrastructure research and testing facility is located on the ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø
campus. It was completed in September 2006. CCHRC was organized as an industry-based
nonprofit corporation. In June 2020, staff became employees of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The CCHRC nonprofit continues to own the
building.
The facility is designed and constructed to meet the exacting standards of the U.S.
Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold rating.
Every material, building technique and system in the structure, from the foundation
to the mechanical systems, is designed for cold climates and is being monitored and
evaluated for operational efficiency in all weather conditions. It is a living test
center with over 400 built-in monitors to assess performance of everything from the
moisture content of the walls to the slightest shift in foundation.
In January 2011, the USGBC awarded the center platinum status under the LEED standards,
the highest rating available. The center is the world’s farthest-north commercial
building with LEED platinum certification.
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