PENCON Construction and Weston Miles Architects have joined forces to provide design/build services for projects using the latest sustainable products.

Livermore, CA - October 26, 2012

On Thursday morning the duo opened the show next to ARXX, the leading manufacturer of ICFs. In tandem they talked to School Building Representatives about this technology that allows for shortened building cycles without any compromise in quality to traditional construction. In fact, according to Dennis Cohan, "the advantages are outstanding, including quality and pricing."

Lesley Miles, experienced LEED and ICF architect, explains that, "Insulated Concrete Forms are one of the most advanced methods of building technology today. Its primary advantages include energy efficiency and structural superiority over conventional construction. Projects finish faster, are competitively priced, and are designed to last for centuries, not decades."

On Friday, Lesley and Dennis presented a talk, "Fast and Green: Opal Cliffs Case Study," based on a recently completed school project in Capitola, CA. The project included two buildings, housing transitional kindergarten and pre-school classes, as well as administrative space and playground areas. Using sustainable products and processes, including ICFs, Lesley explains, "from ground-breaking to the first day of school was 116 calendar days – phenomenal for a superior building."

The team is currently specifying more projects, working on DSA PCs for 1,2,3 classroom pods and interested in talking to school districts who have a vision and want to build superior schools that will last, and be low cost to operate and maintain. To learn more, contact TenTen Design Build at (800) 822-8469 or view the website at http://www.tentendesignbuild.com.

About TenTen Design Build

TenTen Design Build is the collaboration of Weston Miles Architects (WMA) and PENCON Construction to create an entity that provides full-service design build services to projects using the latest sustainable products and processes centered on Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs). Our experience tells us that potential building owners benefit greatly when the architect and builder can collaborate and leverage these technologies. WMA won the 2008 National ICF Builder Award and led the first school project in California using ICF products receiving LEED certification. WMA and PENCON have collaborated on many projects; the most recent is 2 multiple-room school structures that leveraged the outstanding capabilities of ICF with other sustainable, energy-saving capabilities to create a fantastic environment for teachers and children to enhance learning.

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Time Lapse Construction Video:

Visit the project Architect - Weston Miles Architects.

Read more about CHPS and Insulating Concrete Forms.

More about Opal Cliffs Elementary School

This project introduces our alternative to portables. Based on a true use of ICF, we can construct a small school within a 5-6 month period that is energy effi cient and acoustically superior.

Both the site and the buildings were designed with sustainability in mind. The buildings are constructed using Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) which not only provide protection against strong winds and earthquakes, but also help the building maintain a steady temperature reducing the need for excessive air-conditioning or heating. Due to better insulation and proper glazing, HVAC units were reduced to one VRV system to supply both buildings — saving money in both the short and long run. The roofs were designed with the possibility to hold solar panels in the future. The site uses native plants and strategically-placed bioswales which cut down irrigation requirements and diverts surface runoff by naturally percolating into the ground.

Download a print version of this project sheet.