Achieving Optimal Comfort In A Stack Of Books

Set on the rolling foothills of Santa Barbara, the Book House is an excellent example of unlimited imagination in design, vision and application. The unique 7,000 square foot stack of books features Icynene Classic open cell spray foam insulation and has received notable industry recognition for its design and use of spray foam insulation.

The property owner, a well-accomplished publisher and sculptural artist discussing his future project with his architect, was suddenly inspired by a stack of books on a nearby desk. The property owner challenged the architect to design a functional and creative space that resembled a stack of books.

With over 500 sculptures on his property, the owner initially wanted to use the unique structure as a museum. Each of the eight books featured in the structure has the titles of various books on each spine. The structure has already received recognition within the building industry.

The Design

The Book House is a metal framed structure that features a glass window ceiling in the middle which separates one stack of books from the other. The unique shape throughout the structure means that no single window is standard. Each window throughout the structure is either tilted or altered to suit the unique angles of the books. The eight books in the structure are wrapped in metal giving a distinct ‘well-read’ look to the building.

Being completely unique in its design, the local licensed Icynene contractor became involved in the project. The spray foam team advised the property owner that spray foam insulation was an ideal solution to use throughout the structure due to its flexibility, thermal qualities and air-sealing qualities.

Icynene spray foam insulation was chosen due to its ability to fill every unique angle and corner of the complex building design.

Insulating the Book House

The thick double-framed walls and the unique and odd angles of the Book House initially presented a challenge to the spray foam team. They had to consider effective and precise methods to adequately install the spray foam into the wall and ceiling cavities.

The licensed Icynene spray foam contractor had recommended to the owner that Icynene Classic open cell spray foam insulation be used throughout the property. The two-man spray foam crew applied Icynene Classic spray foam throughout the conditioned roof deck to achieve an R-Value of R-20 at 5.5” and throughout the exterior walls and floors to achieve R-13 at 3.5”.

The experienced spray foam crew’s extensive experience and knowledge helped to overcome the challenges of the double framed walls and irregular framing.

As a light-density spray foam, Icynene Classic offers property owners an array of benefits including thermal comfort and air sealing for consistent comfort all year round. Icynene Classic also has excellent sound dampening qualities allowing airborne and flanking noises to be diminished for a quieter space. Following the installation of the spray foam, the team finished the process by using No Burn XD ignition barrier.

The spraying was completed over four days aided by the use of two sprayers working in tandem to successfully complete the job and ensure the unique structure was completely insulated.

The Result

The unusual shape and design of the structure have already been receiving attention from not only the local community but also from within the building industry. The local licensed Icynene spray foam contractor was awarded a National Industry Excellence Award - Specialty Application by the Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA) for their involvement in the Book House project.

Location: Santa Barbara, California
Company: Icynene
Website: www.icynene.com
Telephone: 1-800-758-7325
Fax: 905-363-0102