Window Wisdom Blog

What are they? We’d be happy to enlighten you!

 

Topics: Design, Performance

NFRC Label: Whaaaaaat do all those numbers mean?

Of course, windows are an expressive design element, an architectural statement really. A view to your outdoor world; of ocean, city, mountains, or a cornfield (my view). They act as a means to extend the indoor space visually. But in addition to their beauty, and just as important, windows are a vital part of the building envelope, providing thermal barriers, light transmission, sound control, and natural ventilation. Something else windows can do? Contribute to sustainable design and improve occupant health! Because of the importance these fenestrations (or window and door openings) are to a building’s envelope, manufacturers apply NFRC labels to their products. So, what are these labels supposed to tell us exactly?

Ok, if we zero in on just the window or door’s thermal and energy performance, ta-da, that information is all on the:

Topics: Glass, Comfort, Performance, Architecture

From Humble Beginnings

Sierra Pacific Foundation

For 40 years the Sierra Pacific Foundation, today overseen by Red’s daughter Carolyn Dietz, has provided scholarship grants to children of our crew members and financial support to charitable organizations. The Foundation is dedicated to giving back in our operating communities. So far in 2021, the Foundation has given more than $1.7 million to community organizations. The Foundation also has an active program focused on awarding scholarships for continuing education to the dependent children of our crew members, helping these students to achieve their education through universities and trade schools.

We thought we’d share just a few examples of community projects that received grants from the Foundation this year.

Topics: About, Sierra Pacific Foundation

Real Life Houses Playing Starring Roles in Movie and TV Nightmares!

Why does our mind play these fun little games with us – and usually when we are alone or trying to sleep!? Well, for me, I believe it is all of those glorious horror movies I watched growing up! Especially when a major contributor of the creep factor was the spooky house that the movie monster was running amok in. Every intricate staircase just waiting for that mystery hand to reach through, every home with windows that seemed like eyes staring out at you (yeah, you know the one), that closet that was a portal to another dimension, or when that mystery ball bounces down the stairs into the basement - that has you yelling at the fictional person on the screen, “WHAT?? ARE YOU CRAZY!? DON’T GO DOWN THERE YOU FOOL!”. These realistic home settings grab ahold of our imaginations and pull us in with the actors and give us that adrenaline jolt we crave.

Let’s take a few moments to stroll through the architecture of some real-life houses that play starring roles in our movie and tv nightmares.

Topics: Design, Architecture, Historical Architecture, Famous Architecture, Halloween, Haunted House

After the Fire | Harvest & Replant

Thankfully, the Dixie Fire is now 94% contained. We actually had a couple days with almost no smoke, and then the unbelievable happened. While the end was in sight for that historic fire, a woman allegedly and intentionally started a new fire in Redding, CA. Such a surreal situation, it almost seems like it’s fictional, but it is not. We woke up on September 23^rd to find out there was a 150-acre fire, the Fawn Fire, burning on the northeast side of Redding, and by the end of our workday, it had grown to over 5000 acres. That’s what the historically dry and hot (add in windy) conditions can do once a fire has started. The Fawn Fire is fully contained, but over 200 structures were damaged or destroyed. So what does Sierra Pacific Industries do to pick up the pieces and turn that scarred land into something good again?

Topics: About, Forestry, Fire, SFI, ForestProud, SPI

During the Fire | Foresters & Firefighters

Sierra Pacific actively works to create community awareness through our neighbors, conservation agencies, and firefighters.  On high fire danger days, we curtail our woods operations.  This year, we closed our forestlands to public access on June 21^st, more than two months earlier than last year.  “SPI takes its commitment to protecting our forest resources and public safety seriously,” said Andrea Howell, SPI spokesman. “With this year’s extreme drought conditions having substantially increased the risk of wildfire, we have made the difficult decision to close our lands to public access and recreation.”  Two weeks later, we closed SPI forestlands in southern Washington. 

Topics: About, Forestry, Fire, SFI, ForestProud, SPI

Before the Fire | Forest Management

Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) manages all of our 2.15 million acres sustainably.  What does that mean?  Sustainable forest management has to keep the balance between three main pillars: ecological, economic, and socio-cultural.  Forest management includes measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk, and forests with exceptional conservation value.  We replant all areas that we harvest and will be increasing the stand volume for the future. While managing this renewable resource, we are also taking care of the water resources, endangered species, and flora and fauna to ensure the health of all entities of the timberland.

 

We have a team of about 100 professionals, including registered foresters, botanists, wildlife biologists, and other natural resource professionals tackling the sustainable management of our land in California and Washington.  Together they use modern forest management practices to reduce the risk of wildfire without damaging the health of the forest.  Actively thinning dense forestland and removing dry brush is key to effective fire prevention.  We purposefully give our forests defensible fire space.  Our foresters strategically thin spots to help stop the spread of fire – along ridges, near towns, and along major roads.  This can give the firefighters clear areas to set up equipment and have a safer zone to work from.  These fire breaks are a natural way to help prevent fire from spreading by removing the fuel they need to grow.  These thinned areas usually have some trees, and are called "shaded fuel breaks."  Many management activities can improve a forests’ resistance to drought and fire.  These activities will provide positive carbon sequestration outcomes by improving forest growth rates, and reduce mortality from drought and fire.

Topics: About, Forestry, Fire, SFI, ForestProud, SPI

University of Oregon | Allan Price Science Commons

Location: Eugene, Oregon

Architect: Opsis Architecture

Contractor: Andersen Construction

Earning LEED Gold, the Allan Price Commons and Research Library is a glass-enclosed pavilion containing a social commons café and event space overlooking and connecting to the subterranean research library and landscaped courtyard. 

Topics: Design, About, Glass, Mass Timber

Topics: Sustainability, Design, Comfort, Performance

Topics: Sustainability, Design, Glass, Comfort, Performance, Mass Timber