Indoor Environmental Quality

Indoor environments greatly impact human wellbeing, and research in Alaska has shown that simple upgrades to make homes healthier can reduce the frequency children's health clinic visits and school absences. In one case, an entire family had been feeling sick for a long time, and suddenly improved after TNHA project staff replaced their whole-house ventilation system. Good air quality is a critical part of a healthy home.

Anaktuvuk Pass

Known affectionately to some as the "Flintstone House," the first home TNHA built in collaboration with the Cold Climate Housing Research Center is meant to evoke a traditional sod house. Completed in 2009, it features an R-60 polyurethane building envelope with earthen berms, LED lighting, a dedicated sewage treatment plant, and even a small solar photovoltaic array. It has proven incredibly fuel-efficient, consuming just over 200 gallons of fuel oil annually, about a quarter of what a typical home on the Arctic Slope uses.