Uploaded July 2019 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The Cold Climate Housing Research Center designed new homes for Newtok, a small Alaska village relocating due to climate change and advanced erosion. The new homes have 12-inch walls filled with blown-in fiberglass, an efficient design that should resist the cold, humid climate along the Bering Sea. This summer, Knauf Insulation came to Fairbanks to train contractors who are working in the new village of Mertarvik. Using a wall that mirrors the Mertarvik design, they demonstrated how to install netting, blow in insulation, and test the density of the wall to ensure proper R-value.
The Cold Climate Housing Research Center designed new homes for Newtok, a small Alaska village relocating due to climate change and advanced erosion. The new homes have 12-inch walls filled with blown-in fiberglass, an efficient design that should resist the cold, humid climate along the Bering Sea. This summer, Knauf Insulation came to Fairbanks to train contractors who are working in the new village of Mertarvik. Using a wall that mirrors the Mertarvik design, they demonstrated how to install netting, blow in insulation, and test the density of the wall to ensure proper R-value.
