ABOUT
Welcome to the Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC)
located in Fairbanks Alaska.
CCHRC focuses on facilitating the development of energy efficient,
healthy, durable, and cost effective building designs for people
that live in Alaska and circumpolar regions around the globe.
Our Research and Testing Facility (RTF) was built as an
experiment to test different innovative residential building and
energy systems. We built on a substandard piece of land which
includes contaminated groundwater – we wanted to look at
alternative options for water supply outside of the more traditional well water or water provided through a public
utility – as well as permafrost. The permafrost we rest on varies in both depth and temperature and is a prime
location to study the effects of building on permafrost. In 2011 we were awarded the US Green Building Council's
highest commercial building certification - LEED Platinum.
The original 15,000 ft2 building was built in 2006, half of which was research lab space. In 2013 we built the 8,000
ft2 Sustainable Northern Communities addition to create additional workspace, classrooms, and research areas.
We use ½ as much energy as commercial buildings in the Fairbanks area and constructed for less at $350 per ft2
as opposed to the typical $400 per ft2.
This website includes instructional videos, informational articles, research reports, and more. Please explore!
Copyright © 2019 Cold Climate Housing Research Center, Inc. | 955 Draanjik Drive | Fairbanks, AK 99775 | 907-457-3454 | Contact Us | Sitemap
