Builders today have many challenges to overcome on their projects, but working with high-quality fiber cement siding is not one of them. Allura products are often specified because they’re prefinished, straightforward to install, and offer durable long-term building solutions.
From the materials they work with to meeting client demands, choosing the right solutions can be tricky. But some professionals understand what it takes to make projects both successful and sustainable: the team at SYMBI Homes makes it look easy.
SYMBI Homes
SYMBI Homes is a residential developer on the East Coast, and they’ve been building homes with a firm commitment to several principles of sustainable construction. Their projects reflect sustainability in five key areas:
- Health and well-being
- Water and energy-efficiency
- Sustainable materials and work processes
- Zero Energy Ready certification standards
- Home automation and performance monitoring
The team at SYMBI Homes touts an impressive work history, with more than 75 years of combined experience in green building and sustainable architecture. SYMBI’s CEO, Dr. Nicole Tysvaer, met Matt Kulp in 2012 after she’d been searching for someone to help her build a high-performing and affordable home in Maryland.
Matt took on the role of general contractor for her project, a “uniquely modern, high-performance house,” Dr. Tysvaer explained to Custom Builder. “After that project was completed, we decided to work together full-time in pursuit of making sustainable home building ubiquitous in the D.C. metro area.”
Matt is now Vice President of Production for SYMBI Homes, and he oversaw their most recent multi-family construction project in Mt. Rainier, Maryland: Duplex One. Some of the home’s most prominent features include ongoing home performance monitoring, biophilic design, and fiber cement siding to ensure ample insulation.
Efficient Solutions That Support Sustainability
The Duplex One project is a prime example of modern style and solutions-driven, sustainable construction. “We chose the Allura cementitious siding because it’s pre-finished in the factory,” Matt Kulp said in a recent interview with Projects Magazine.
The multi-family residence showcases a modern farmhouse design, and its exterior features Allura’s fiber cement siding in the crisp, white Snow color option. Working with Allura’s pre-finished product helped to streamline the project for the installation crew.
“It’s much more durable than painting in the field, and gives us much more flexibility in the field, too, as far as weather goes,” Matt explained. “The prefinished product is a much more perfected system; you don’t have pollen, runs, or dust in your paint.”
The SYMBI home also features Allura’s trim products to finish off the exterior look. “I like to use the Allura fiber cement siding and trim together because they expand and contract at the same rate,” said Matt.
The Duplex One project is a prototype that SYMBI is undertaking. They’re launching a three-year pilot program in which 20 multi-family residences in the D.C. area will transform part of the Sustainable Inner-Suburb Redevelopment project. The SYMBI home will include features that connect home occupants to nature through biophilic design, incorporate proper insulation for energy efficiency, and use air and water filtration systems that support occupant health.
Allura’s fiber cement siding is a part of the project’s goal to achieve a sustainable design: The exterior materials help encourage healthier indoor air quality through better insulation. In addition, Allura’s durable products will protect the home for decades.
Matt chose Allura’s smooth profile for a more contemporary feel to the home’s design. “I like the smooth surfaces and small trim, and mixing the traditional architecture with trying to make it a little more modern,” he said. “The great thing about Allura is — the gaps we use for the windows and our starter strip — allows us to have a little bit of a tighter profile.”
Solutions for Long-Term Sustainable Construction
The SYMBI Duplex One project will be certified by the U.S. Department of Energy as a Zero Energy Ready project.
Matt and the team at SYMBI chose Allura fiber cement siding for Duplex One for several reasons. “It has a very good warranty,” Matt explained to Custom Builder. But Duplex One will also be protected for years against fire and weather damage, pest infiltration, and moisture issues because of the high-performing fiber cement siding.
Add Value to Your Next Project With Fiber Cement Siding
Allura is proud to be a part of SYMBI Homes’ sustainable construction project and looks forward to the projects SYMBI tackles in the years ahead.
See how Allura is the preferred choice of homeowners, builders, and dealers. For more than 75 years, we’ve manufactured and delivered exterior products to help builders everywhere achieve a dependable, durable home. Take a look at our gallery of products and get inspired on your next project.
If you want to learn more about how we can add value to your next building project, contact us today.
