CASE STUDY: ALPINE MEADOWS CABIN, LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA

Photo courtesy of Studio Bergtraun

Cable railing with black powder coating was used at this vacation cabin.

This two-level, custom vacation retreat at Lake Tahoe intermixed the all-natural materials of the surrounding environment with an industrial theme. Alex Bergtraun, lead architect for Studio Bergtraun Architects, used details like accenting the hot-rolled steel fireplace and surrounding cabinetry on the interior with the custom, black powder-coated stainless steel cable railings on the exterior.

“The clients really wanted the rustic-yet-industrial theme throughout so incorporating key elements like the black powder-coated railings on the outside nicely helped integrate things,” Bergtraun says. “Spec’ing prefabricated railings in a remote location with a shortened building season was an important aspect too. It had to be designed correctly and install quickly.”

LEED Criteria and Certification

The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification system promotes design and construction practices that enhance the environment, promote sustainability, and benefit user health and well-being. LEED certification is obtained based on a point system and includes many areas related to choice of materials. These include recycled content, potential for product reuse, impact on energy and water consumption, the likelihood of product or coating emissions, impact on indoor air quality, thermal comfort, durability, maintenance requirements, and impact on indoor light.⁹

Stainless steel contributes to LEED certification through its high recycled content and high salvage rate at end of life. In addition, stainless steel has the potential to influence other LEED points based on how it is used in a specific application. Some related points for stainless steel railings include:

• Maintenance requirements: Stainless steel railings are easy to clean and thus require no environmentally hazardous chemicals.
• Indoor air quality and outdoor emissions: Stainless steel is ideal for outdoor applications because of its corrosion resistance. Thus, it requires no protective coating. This eliminates the adverse environmental impacts associated with coatings, such as out gassing volatile organic compounds (VOCs).¹⁰

CASE STUDY: MINNEHAHA CREEK HOME, EDINA, MINNESOTA

Photo courtesy of Spacecrafting

Prefabricated stainless steel cable railing was used on the exterior decking.

This project utilized prefabricated stainless steel railings for both interior and exterior applications. The cable railing system with flat stainless steel top rail was used throughout the home to meet the needs of both safety and aesthetics.

“Before this project, we never considered the option of prefabricated railings; now I foresee us working with them on all our future remodeling and new construction projects,” explains Ryan Hanson, partner at Sustainable 9 Design + Build. “The ease of installation, at nearly half the cost as custom fabricated railing, and quick turnaround really helped us meet the project deadline and budget. Its modern aesthetic and overall high-quality look really resonated with potential homebuyers and existing customers too—so much so that we already have a few clients altering their existing remodeling projects to now include railings.”

End Notes

¹“Window Technologies: Low-E Coatings.” Efficient Windows Collaborative. 2000–2017. Web. 23 June 2017. www.efficientwindows.org/lowe.php.According to the publication, “Low-e glass coatings can have an emittance as low as 0.04. Such glazing would emit only 4 percent of the energy possible at its temperature, and thus reflect 96 percent of the incident long-wave, infrared radiation. Window manufacturers’ product information may not list emittance ratings. Rather, the effect of the low-e coating is incorporated into the U-factor for the unit or glazing assembly.”

²A polyamide is a type of plastic having high heat resistance.

³Nesom, Guy. Plant Guide: Western Red Cedar. USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center & the Biota of North America Program. Web. 23 June 2017. plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_thpl.pdf.

^4,5,6The Cedar Book: Volume X, First Edition. Western Red Cedar Lumber Association. 2017. Web. 23 June 2017. www.realcedar.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/wrcla-cedar-book-v10-final-web.pdf.

⁷The Lacey Act is a 1900 United States law that bans trafficking in illegal wildlife. In 2008, the act was amended to include plants and plant products, such as timber and paper

⁸IBAMA is the acronym for the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources, which is the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment’s administrative arm. The IBAMA supports anti-deforestation of the Amazon and implements laws against deforestation where the government ceases to implement.

⁹Houska, Catherine. Sustainable Stainless Steel Architecture. Nickel Development Institute. Web. 23 June 2017. www.nickelinstitute.org/~/media/Files/NickelUseInSociety/Architecture/SustainableStainlessSteelArchitecture.ashx?la=en.

¹⁰Houska, Catherine; P.G., Stone; and Cochrane, David J. Timeless Stainless Architecture. Nickel Development Institute. Oct. 2001. Web. 23 June 2017. www.nickelinstitute.org/~/media/Files/TechnicalLiterature/TimelessStainlessArchitecture_11023_.ashx.

Elena M. Pascarella, RLA, ASLA is a practicing landscape architect, continuing education presenter, and consultant engaged in a private practice based in Rhode Island. The firm’s portfolio can be viewed at www.landscapeelementsllc.com.