Huntsman Building Solutions Redefines Best-in-Class Sustainability with the Stack in Vancouver, British Columbia

The Stack Exterior

Featured image: The Stack exterior. Courtesy of The Stack.

Huntsman Building Solutions (HBS) cements its position as the purveyor of sustainable building solutions as it joins the roster of the builders of The Stack. Nestled in the vibrant core of Vancouver, The Stack has dramatically transformed the city’s skyline with its impressive design and unparalleled elegance – all while exercising a staunch dedication to the highest standards of sustainable construction. 

Unveiled in 2023, The Stack towers over the bustling and upscale district of Downtown Vancouver, commanding a breathtaking view of the cityscape. Hallmarked by its distinctive artful box design, the 37-story, 550,000 square foot skyscraper masterfully lends itself to various styles of work while blending seamlessly with the dynamic metropolitan grid. 

Building a beacon of sustainable architectural excellence

In constructing The Stack, simply building a beautiful, grand architectural masterpiece was not enough. The creators of this impressive skyscraper pushed the boundaries of construction by creating a building that was not only aesthetically magnificent, but sustainably sound as well. As a result, The Stack proudly holds the distinction of being Canada’s inaugural commercial high-rise tower to receive the prestigious CAGBC’s Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard certification. Additionally, this sophisticated commercial development is well on-track to receive the LEED v4 Core & Shell Platinum certification – an accolade that will further strengthen its foothold as the foremost leader in sustainability. 

Paramount to securing the coveted LEED v4 certification is the use of materials that upheld the highest standards in sustainable construction. Westcor Thermal Inc., the spray foam installation company behind The Stack, left no stone unturned in order to meet the exacting requirements. Ultimately, only Huntsman Building Solutions’ Heatlok Soya HFO met the required standards.

“We recognized early on that for The Stack to truly stand out and meet our sustainability goals, Heatlok Soya HFO was the product to spec. Huntsman Building Solution’s commitment to excellence and readiness to provide technical support made the decision straightforward,” shares Marcus Hamm, President of Westcor Thermal Inc.

About Heatlok Soya HFO

Heatlok Soya HFO is a continuous insulation solution that delivers excellent resistance against water and mold, while also delivering barrier protection against air and vapor. Unanimously selected by all general contractors involved in the project, Heatlok Soya HFO edged over alternatives such as fiberglass and mineral wool. 

Because of its superior R-value and its contributions in eradicating Global Warming Potential (GWP), Heatlok Soya HFO delivers best-in-class environmental sustainability practices. Using Honeywell’s Solstice technology, this premier spray foam solution has a GWP of 1, which is 99.9 per cent lower than traditional blowing agents. 

“Working alongside Westcor Thermal on The Stack project was a testament to the power of collaboration. Their dedication to excellence and attention to detail resonated with our values at Huntsman Building Solutions. Together, we were able to seamlessly integrate our Heatlok Soya HFO product into the building’s design, ensuring both sustainability and architectural brilliance. It’s partnerships like these that drive innovation and set new benchmarks in the industry,” says Mickel Maalouf, B. Arch., LEED Green Associate and Manager of Sustainable Building Science for Huntsman Building Solutions.”

On top of that, Heatlok Soya HFO received product code compliance (NBC 2015) from the Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC) for its Radon Protection System as a result of the 14280-R CCMC evaluation. This qualifies Heatlok Soya HFO’s capabilities in acting as a protective air barrier system for radioactive radon. This recognition also signifies that Heatlok Soya HFO meets the material qualifications, air barrier system requirements, soil gas barrier requirements, and resistance to mechanical damage requirements. 

The Stack, a modern office building in Vancouver, B.C., is an example of using spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation as the air barrier system to enhance building energy efficiency and durability. Courtesy of The Stack.
Applicaiton of hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) to achieve high RSI-values. Courtesy of Huntsman Building Solutions.
Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) plays a significant role in mitigating common air leakage paths, such as joints, seams, and penetrations, thereby enhancing the overall air tightness of buildings. Courtesy of Huntsman Building Solutions.

To learn more about The Stack, visit: https://huntsmanbuildingsolutions.com/en-CA/tech-library/stack-vancouver.

To learn more about Huntsman Building Solutions and the company’s complete suite of energy efficient building solutions, visit  https://huntsmanbuildingsolutions.com/en-CA/.  Join the company on Twitter, LinkedInFacebookInstagram and YouTube.

To learn more about radon protection, visit: https://huntsmanbuildingsolutions.com/en-CA/tech-library/rado


About Huntsman Building Solutions

The Huntsman Building Solutions business is a global leader in high-performance, sustainable building envelope solutions. Its systems and solutions are widely utilized to optimize commercial and residential structures worldwide in both new construction and retrofit applications. Formed in 2020 with the acquisition of Icynene-Lapolla and its combination with Demilec, the Huntsman Building Solutions business capitalizes on legacy industry technologies, environmental stewardship, and the power of the Huntsman brand. For more information, visit huntsmanbuildingsolutions.com.


About Huntsman

Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and specialty chemicals with 2020 revenues of approximately $6 billion. Our chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. We operate more than 70 manufacturing, R&D and operations facilities in approximately 30 countries and employ approximately 9,000 associates within our four distinct business divisions. For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company’s website at www.huntsman.com.