Technical Assistance
CCHRC offers technical assistance and in-person meetings with communities to create site-specific recommendations and guidance for housing design options to assist with decisions when communities are retrofitting, building new homes, or relocating. CCHRC takes a holistic approach to co-design and carefully integrates the perspectives of community members along with our experts in building science, anthropology, and structural engineering.
Owner's Representative
CCHRC offers services as an owner’s representative or quality control representative on the ground. We work with local crews on construction sites to ensure that houses are built according to cold climate best practices and with high quality materials to ensure that homes are safe, healthy and durable.
Design
CCHRC works with design firms, tribal and regional housing entities, federal and state agencies, and partners across the state to improve building designs and mechanical systems in Alaska’s housing sector. With roots in the construction industry, CCHRC’s strength is the ability to integrate design, construction, and community development. CCHRC can both facilitate the design process between private sector firms and clients or contract directly with individuals and entities to provide consulting services. These services include feasibility studies, contributing to master planning, housing design, construction documentation, and construction administration and instruction.
Research
CCHRC tests, evaluates, and demonstrates innovative heating and ventilation systems for cold climate applications with the goal of providing a healthy indoor environment and improving energy efficiency. Recent project experience includes evaluating or demonstrating ground source heat pumps in permafrost terrain, cold climate air source heat pumps, thermal storage systems, feasibility of energy recovery ventilation in Alaska, and new HRV technologies for residential and light commercial construction.
Policy
Communities are often faced with regulations and regulatory red-tape that prevent them from innovative solutions for adequate housing. CCHRC works with communities, governments and institutions to establish best practices in cold climate construction, and can evaluate the impacts of current or future regulations on the housing and construction industry through qualitative, quantitative, applied, socio-economic, and exploratory research. CCHRC can be an advocate for effective policy that addresses housing needs and communities struggling with local, state and national compliance.