Interior Alaska's climate demands a fundamentally different approach to building enclosure than Southcentral — sustained cold snaps below -50°F make thermal bridging elimination and airtightness the primary design drivers.
The wall assembly achieves R-80 through a combination of dense-pack cellulose in a double-stud frame with continuous exterior rigid insulation — a system with zero thermal bridges across the entire envelope.
The mechanical vestibule airlock is a full 8-foot-deep air buffer between exterior and interior — large enough to park a snowmachine, store gear, and function as a mud room while eliminating direct cold-air exchange with the living spaces.
