EPICx Studio

05/14/2026

We're exploring some initial site planning concepts for this custom residential home in Texas, located on 20 acres. The high-performance home will be designed as Net Positive, completely off the grid, and powered by photovoltaics. The infrastructure will be built to last without dependency, and in alignment with the regenerative goals of the development.

EPICx Studio is performing Architectural Services and Energy Modeling for this project.

05/14/2026

The have been installed at Goldfinch Lofts. Check out those performance stats! The window and door selection was critical in helping the project meet the Phius targets.

04/18/2026

What's in your walls?

04/06/2026

Recently, the Building Enclosure Council of Iowa hosted a tour of the Goldfinch Lofts mixed-use project on Ingersoll Ave in Des Moines, Iowa.

The mass timber project was awarded (Phius) Design Certification earlier this year, and is pursuing Phius Final Certification and the International Living Future Institute's Zero Carbon Certification. The project is tracking to become the first LIHTC development in the U.S. to achieve Zero Carbon certification and the first multifamily Passive House project in Iowa.

Thank you to and .hancock at , Scott and Molly Cutler of Cutler Development, and Peter Cutler of , for a great tour of this fantastic project.

EPICx Studio is proud to be part of the project team as the Sustainability Consultant / CPHC, and was able to share a bit about the passive house design and how the project was able to achieve net zero.

Looking forward to seeing the finished project later this year!

03/12/2026

The Building Enclosure Council of Iowa is proud to present the 2026 BEC-Iowa Symposium. The Symposium includes a distinguished panel of speakers to discuss building science and enclosures. This will be an in-person event only, and attendees can enter a raffle to win prizes (winners will be announced at the end of the symposium).

The event include breakfast, snacks, lunch, and refreshments. Alcoholic beverages will be served, and drink tickets can be obtained by visiting sponsor booths.

Register here: bec-iowa.org/bec-iowa-symposium-2026/

03/02/2026

So proud of the entire team! Next up, Final Certification!

Congratulations to the Goldfinch Lofts team! Your multifamily, new construction project in Des Moines, Iowa is now Phius ZERO 2024 Design Certified!

EPICx Studio
Building Performance Architecture

Knop Killeen Architects
Thornton Tomasetti


Cutler Construction Company

02/10/2026

Construction is moving along quickly at Goldfinch Lofts in Des Moines! All the mass timber has been installed and it's absolutely stunning.

The project is pursuing the Zero Carbon Certification from the International Living Future Institute as well as Passive House Institute U.S. (Phius) Certification. Once completed, the project will be the first ever LIHTC building in the nation to be Zero Carbon certified and the first multifamily housing project in Iowa to be certified.

EPICx Studio is providing Phius Certified Consultant (CPHC) services, and coordination for the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) Zero Carbon Certification (ZCC).

Architect:
Structural Engineer:
MEP Engineer: .engineers
Landscape Architect: .land
Construction:
Phius Verifier:
Local Phius Rater:
Phius CPHC and Sustainability Consultant: .studio

01/23/2026

In Iowa we are having an arctic blast of below zero temps, and I'm hearing a lot about ice and condensation on the inside of windows and water droplets (also condensation) on the interior side of walls. This can eventually cause mold growth, health issues, and damage to buildings and furnishings.

Not only does temperature have an impact on this phenomenon, but so does relative humidity and v***r pressure. These thermal images show quite a difference in temperature where there is insulation missing from the walls (1) and the outlet shows even colder temperatures (2). A quick pass of the hand in front of the outlet revealed a lot of air coming in through it.

In our practice we encourage reducing thermal bridging as much as possible, and perform THERM analysis and ISO 13788 calculations on thermal bridge details to confirm there is no risk of mold growth. Ventilation and occupants have an impact on the interior environment as well, but it starts with a well-designed building enclosure!

12/17/2025

As we look back on 2025, we are incredibly grateful for the opportunities to positively shape the built environment, and the partnerships with amazing clients and industry professionals. Our work over the past year includes providing CPHC (Certified Passive House Consulting) for many Phius (Passive House Institute US) projects, WUFI energy modeling, building enclosure consulting, and architectural design services throughout the Midwest, Southwest, and East Coast.

A few big milestones from the year:

• CyBear Lair in Ames, IA was officially Design Certified as a Phius ZERO 2021 project and is on track to become Final Certified in 2026!

(EPICx Studio is providing Phius CPHC services)

• Goldfinch Lofts in Des Moines, IA, a new mass timber mixed-use development, is now under construction. Once completed, it will be the first ever LIHTC building in the nation to be Zero Carbon certified, and the first multifamily housing project in Iowa to be Phius certified.

(EPICx Studio is providing Phius CPHC Services and coordination for the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) Zero Carbon Certification (ZCC))

• Construction was completed on the 50,000 SF Iowa Army National Guard West Des Moines Readiness Center. We began the project over four years ago during Schematic Design and are wrapping up the Warranty Phase.

(EPICx Studio is providing Fundamental and Enhanced Building Envelope Commissioning required for LEED Certification)

• Kicked off the designs for several new custom single-family homes

(EPICx Studio is providing full-service architectural design, Phius CPHC services, and WUFI energy modeling)

08/26/2025

It’s the 5th Annual International Flashing Awareness Day!

Did you know that water damage is one of the main causes for construction litigation?

The purpose of flashing is to protect buildings from water damage and leaks. By using the “down and out” approach you can control rainwater and deflect it away from the building.

There are many different locations in a building that need flashing, such as the roof, roof top equipment curbs, the bottom of exterior walls, penetrations, windows, and doors.

Flashing comes in different materials depending on aesthetics, budget, and location, with stainless steel being one of the most common. To flash window and door openings, there are liquid-applied and peel-and-stick flashings which often also function as part of the air barrier system. On this project ZIP flashing tape was used to seal the joints between plywood panels, which functions as part of the air barrier system and the water resistive barrier.

If you notice water stains, leaks, mold growth, or visible damage in a building, improper flashing or lack of flashing could be the issue! You can end up with problems like you see in the last few photos (and there are much worse problems!) If they aren't corrected, they can ultimately lead to structural failure, material damage, and mold growth can cause severe health issues for the occupants.

To quote Joe Lstiburek, “If you want to save cash…flash…”

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