If walls could talk - desing and construction of senior-living projects - Cover Story

Nursing Homes, June, 2003 by Eric Hubbs

Typically, the design and construction phases of a senior-living project are not considered times to think about marketing. During these phases, a vast number of decisions are made concerning different materials, using an array of comparisons. An inordinately large number of variables are compared when making these product choices, such as durability, aesthetics, quality and, ultimately, value.

While these decisions impact the care and pocketbooks of the end-user--the resident--rarely do the benefits of the construction materials themselves find their way to the marketing materials of the senior-living community. Should it be merely price that determines which material or product is chosen by the community's owner, or should the decision be more complex? What if an owner focused on the fact that these product decisions might determine the ease of marketing his/her community vis-a-vis competing communities?

Let's investigate that proposition, looking at the three basic wall systems--wood, steel, and insulated concrete forms (ICF)--taking into account the lifestyle and financial benefits most desired by seniors. Through this analysis we will, hopefully, determine whether walls (or wall-construction products) can really "talk" to seniors. What, basically, are the choices?

Wood Framing

Until the 17th century, most buildings in England were limber-framed. Consequently, this framing method was America's earliest. In this type of construction, the structural skeleton of a building is held together by interlocking joints cut into the timbers. (Incidentally, the first joints were invented almost Simultaneously in India, Europe, and Japan around 200 BC.)

In the mid-1800s the invention of the balloon frame, held together with nails instead of complexjoints, virtually ended timber framing. The balloon frame, although less sturdy than a timber frame, is much easier to design and build. Therefore, it was ideal for the westward expansion occurring at that time. Today, western (platform) framing is the most common manner of framing residential and small-scale commercial buildings.

Steel Framing

After World War II there was an abundance of steel in the United States. To take advantage of the manufacturing capabilities gained during the war effort, steel companies looked to home construction. During the 1940s and 1950s, thousands of homes near steel-producing centers in the United States were built using light-gauge steel framing. The low cost of lumber, combined with some characteristic weaknesses of steel (rust and thermal deficiencies), prevented the widespread use of steel framing for residential use. Nevertheless, the strength and durability of steel-framing systems made them common in commercial construction throughout the United States by the late 1950s. This remains the case today.

Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF)

Introduced in Europe in the early 1960s, ICF is the newest wall system. Basically, it has walls consisting of concrete and surrounded by foam. Demand for products that could provide superior energy conservation for the harsh Canadian winters pushed the introduction of ICF into North America in recent decades and, by the 1990s, ICF had made limited inroads into both the residential and commercial marketplace within the United States. Today, there is broad awareness of this framing system, and usage is spreading across the various types of construction.

What's the Best Choice?

Because seniors are more sensitive to heating and cooling, they are anxious to live in an environment with a constant and evenly distributed temperature. A residence free from drafts and cold spots is ideal for them. Seniors also have a greater need than their younger counterparts for a quiet living space. And, perhaps most importantly, seniors want the knowledge that they are safe and well protected from natural disasters (not to mention intruders). Let's compare the three wall systems on how they meet these criteria (see Table 1 for a summary).

Residents desire a space that maintains a uniform temperature with less drafts and cold spots and, for that matter, lower utility bills. Because ICF's concrete mass is sandwiched between two layers of foam, heat flow both in and out of the wall is slowed, thereby creating the least thermal transfer among the three wall systems. This makes the ICF wall far and away the most energy efficient, with an R-value of 40 compared to effective R-values of 15.1 for wood-stud framing and 7.1 for steel-stud framing.

A quieter, more peaceful living space. The Sound Transmission Coefficient (STC) measures the resistance of a material to the transmission of sound. Basically, the higher the STC, the quieter the space. The ICF wall system is the quietest wall type, with an STC of 50 . Comparable wood systems have an STC of 37, and steel, an STC of 40. Both wood and steel systems can achieve higher sound resistance, however, by adding more material or increasing the thickness of the wood or steel.

Protection against fire and natural disasters. Most codes mandate that the healthcare portions of retirement facilities be constructed of noncombustible materials. This precludes wood-stud framing from a healthcare-related portion of the retirement community, and steel-stud framing must be combined with other noncombustible materials to obtain fire ratings similar to those of ICF. Depending upon the thickness of the walls, ICF framing systems are fire-resistant and maintain fire-resistance ratings of up to four hours.