As the first new residential project in Burlington, Vermont’s Downtown District in over 15 years, The Nest now serves as an iconic landmark not only for its strikingly modern design, but also for its green building practices throughout the construction
process. Central to the project's success both aesthetically and from a green building perspective was the integration of insulated metal panels from Kingspan Insulated Panels for its design.
Coming in at nine stories high, the apartment building is one of the tallest buildings in Burlington, helping to achieve the city’s goal of providing high density and mixed income housing.
Developer Nedde Real Estate had a vision for The Nest that included a modern design and an environmentally friendly place for residents to call home. gbA Architecture & Planning delivered on this ask, designing the 47,000 square foot, 49-unit building
for 21st century living with energy efficiency in mind.
gbA Architecture used brick, glass and insulated metal panels (IMPs) to achieve a modern design aesthetic while connecting the building with its surrounding urban environment and the natural world outside. Most of the studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom
units are located in the corners of the building to provide multiple views. Spacious floorplans create welcoming areas and 9-foot windows supply natural light.
The project initially called for aluminum composite materials (ACM) panels and fiber cement, until budgeting became an issue. That’s when it became clear IMPs were the best choice – both on a financial level and more importantly, on a sustainability
level.
Over 19,000 square feet of Kingspan’s IMPs were used to achieve green building practices – including Kingspan’s Optimo panels in Tricorn Black, KS Mini Micro-Rib panels in Pewter and KS Azteco panels in Weathered Zinc.
Kingspan’s Optimo panels deliver a flat, aesthetically appealing modern building envelope solution. The use of pearlescent micas or metallic colors can provide an even more dynamic finish to any project.
Kingspan’s KS Series panels provide unique aesthetics through a wide range of profiles while delivering supreme thermal performance. Adjustable module widths can integrate for distinct architectural flair while providing a clean, finished appearance.
Kingspan’s Optimo and KS Azteco panels on this project utilize the company’s QuadCore® Technology. QuadCore is Kingspan’s next generation of self-blended hybrid insulation core and is one of the most thermally efficient insulation
cores on the market. This thermal efficiency helps maintain constant temperatures and reduce heating and cooling costs for The Nest.
A high-performance, energy-saving building envelope solution, IMPs also have exceptional air and weather tightness that significantly reduces heat loss or heat gain, ensuring the comfort of building occupants.
The many climate-friendly features of IMPs can help construct residential projects, like The Nest, that could potentially have a lower total carbon footprint with less embodied carbon than concrete wall assemblies, depending on the brand specified.
In addition to environmentally friendly building materials, The Nest also includes forward-thinking, thoughtful details for residents including on-site EV charging stations, a solar array and a green roof.