Aprilaire - Experts & Thought Leaders

Is it possible to engineer a sense of peace? That’s the challenge the development team behind Velvære has set for themselves. Velvære is a Park City, UT luxury development, which debuted its first residence in 2024. It’s named for the Norwegian concept of well-being, a way of life the entire community is built to promote and embody. Velvære “Velvære” includes not just personal satisfaction, but a sense of connection to nature; the practice of giving back to the community; an embrace of outdoor recreation; and prioritizing coziness or “koselig.” Cultivating “velvære” means bringing your physical, social, emotional, and spiritual life into balance. This holistic sense of peace and fulfillment is the new luxury. With Velvære in Park City, Bonfire Collective set out to create an intentional community where the built environment exists in harmony with both the natural world and residents’ needs, promoting this balance in every respect. The Velvære Vision Velvære is a 60-acre development adjacent to Park City’s Deer Valley Resort® Velvære is a 60-acre development adjacent to Park City’s Deer Valley Resort®. Upon completion, it will include 115 private residences, including paired homes, cabins, and sites for private estates. Velvære is designed to offer residents an elevated experience that is nonetheless completely connected to the natural world. The 2300-2400 sq. ft. cabins and 3000-5500 sq. ft. paired homes embody the concept of wellness as luxury.  With warm, natural finishes bathed in sunlight from panoramic windows, the homes will feature ski-in/ ski-out access. Homes with customizable Synergistic Sanctuary Spaces In an effort to prioritize intentional wellbeing, each residence will feature customizable Synergistic Sanctuary Spaces that transform the concept of a “healthy home.” These in-home sanctuary spaces feature environmentally forward design and amenities, a treatment room (with storage to hold equipment), steam shower, cold/hot plunge, and a HaloIR Sauna. Bonfire Collective has a discerning eye for detail born from the company’s shared roots with storied luxury home builder - Magleby Construction. They are committed to ensuring that everything from the construction materials to the mechanical systems align with their mission of creating communities for intentional living. Minimized carbon footprint As part of the commitment to “velvære,’ each residence is designed to minimize its carbon footprint and use shared energy resources responsibly. Homes are built with pathways to solar, so that residents may choose to add renewable energy collection and storage with no infrastructure retrofit required. Residents can also opt-in to a “time of use” demand response program that will automate certain activities Each home also comes equipped with an energy management system that allows residents to set their priorities and goals for energy usage – part of a ‘single pane of glass’ Crestron home automation system that manages everything from lights and AV to security and safety sensors. Residents can also opt-in to a “time of use” demand response program that will automate certain activities – e.g. running the dishwasher – to occur during times of lowest grid demand.  Making HVAC Part of the Mission HVAC system efficiency was naturally crucial to the Velvære’s sustainability goals – but the HVAC system designs for these luxury homes need to achieve more than just efficiency. They need to support the crucial ‘coziness’ element, welcoming residents in from a ski run or a summer hike to an ideal environment. That might mean toasty floors in the winter, a cool living room in the summer, or even different temperatures for different rooms and activities year-round. It is also critical the HVAC systems avoid adding complexity to overall home management. Bonfire Collective prioritized bringing HVAC control into the Crestron home automation system, unifying home management and preserving a simple, elegant end-user experience. “Sustainability is only one aspect of our goals for Velvære,” said Chad Magleby, Partner at Bonfire Collective, adding “It’s part of wellness, which is in turn part of ‘velvære.’ We believe that a specific desire for personal wellness will drive more change than a broad preference for sustainability.” Engineered for Coziness Bonfire Collective contracted Gunthers Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing to engineer Velvære’s HVAC systems Bonfire Collective contracted Gunthers Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing to engineer Velvære’s HVAC systems. This family-owned business has served American Fork, UT continuously for over a century; they brought both advanced expertise and a deep connection to the community, central to the project’s mission. Gunther’s Heating, Cooling and Plumbing designed a system that delivers on the concept of koselig year-round. A natural gas radiant floor system warms the homes in the winter, melting snow from parkas and mittens and warming residents’ toes as they step out of their boots after a black diamond run. Zoned heat pumps Zoned heat pumps control the upper-end of the set point range, allowing residents to maintain a cozy kitchen without allowing home office and master suite spaces on the upper floors to get stuffy. In the summer, the same heat pumps deliver zoned air conditioning throughout the home. The specifying engineer selected Mitsubishi SMART MULTI Hyper-heating heat pumps for this project. These highly versatile Inverter units offer superior efficiency, and their multi-position design allows Gunther to spec them for any Velvære floorplan. A typical Velvære paired home includes three SMART MULTI units, as well as an AprilAire Humidifier to keep these homes comfortable in the dry Mountain West climate. Sophistication Meets Simplicity Indeed, ideally, they should not have to manage the HVAC system at all The engineering team recognized that residents would not want to separately manage radiant and electric heating systems. Indeed, ideally, they should not have to manage the HVAC system at all: temperature and humidity should be orchestrated by the Crestron home automation system without a second thought. To unify operation of the two-stage heating system, manage zoning control, and enable two-way communication between the Crestron home automation system and Mitsubishi Inverter units, the specifying engineer turned to Airzone. Airzone VAF solution Airzone is a major provider of intelligent HVAC control solutions, with an exclusive library of HVAC manufacturer protocols. For the homes of Velvære, Gunthers Heating, Cooling and Plumbing used the Airzone VAF solution. This flexible zoned HVAC system controller supports control of ducted and ductless systems from major manufacturers. Airzone VAF can control heating, cooling and schedules for multiple zones, allowing the engineers to optimize the comfort of each Velvære home. Uniquely, Airzone allows simultaneous control of a two-stage heating system with both radiant and air from a single thermostat. Airzone VAF connects to Crestron home automation system Airzone VAF connects directly to the “single pane of glass” Crestron home automation system. Airzone offers a dedicated RESTful API driver for the Crestron Home® OS that allows HVAC controllers to be integrated without custom programming, additional wiring, or WAN connection. Via the Airzone controller, the HVAC system becomes part of the holistic home management system Via the Airzone controller, the HVAC system becomes part of the holistic home management system. The user only needs to interact with one interface. When the user changes a set point, or the home enters automation, such as “eco mode,” or “vacation mode,” the Crestron system communicates to the Airzone controller, which then translates the commands into the requisite manufacturers’ protocols for the radiant heat system, heat pumps, fans, temperature sensors, etc. The home is managed as a unified whole, in alignment with the spirit of Velvære. The Velvære Journey Begins As Velvære welcomes its first residents, Bonfire Collective is offering luxury homeowners a new kind of mindful living. The community is designed to support connection to the natural world as a top priority. Homeowners who wish to carefully manage their carbon footprint can monitor and optimize their energy sources and consumption through the Crestron home automation system. They can also monitor their natural gas consumption specifically via an exclusive pulse device on home meters. Elegant HVAC and home automation system design The community’s elegant HVAC and home automation system design is integral to achieving that balance The community’s elegant HVAC and home automation system design is integral to achieving that balance. “Our laboratory testing indicates that properly controlled Inverter HVAC systems offer energy savings of 45% on average compared to traditional units,” said Victoria Garcia Massimo, North America Operations Manager for Airzone. She adds, “Zoned systems can achieve energy savings of 60% or more. When an HVAC system is part of a holistic building and energy management system, as in Velvære, these effects are amplified. The more deeply we integrate these systems, the more good we can achieve.” Tracking the community’s performance Bonfire Collective and their partners plan to track the community’s performance. “Our intent on a community scale is to exist in balance with nature,” says Magleby, adding “As Velvære grows, we plan to monitor aggregate energy consumption and eventually seek ways to offset our fossil fuel usage through the HOA.” Integration with IoT systems The concept of ‘velvære’ recognizes that well-being requires connection. Integration with IoT systems, such as home and building automation is essential to participating in this vision. By designing homes and a community that promotes enjoying and taking care of the natural world, Velvære represents an ambitious path forward for the industry, where HVAC systems are a key element of a better, more connected life.

Indoor plants are a great way to create an inviting, yet vibrant, home — but can they help users in their quest toward making a healthy home? Plants for the house offer a wealth of benefits, but healthy air isn’t one of them. “The scientific literature shows that indoor houseplants — as would typically be implemented in a person’s home — do very little to clean the air,” suggests Portland State University Professor - Elliot Gall. Contrary to popular belief, indoor plants don’t clear the air inside homes! That’s what AprilAire whole-house air filtration is for.  Benefits of Indoor Plants Just because the plants for the house aren’t helping cultivate a healthy home environment doesn’t mean they don’t offer a wealth of other benefits, including: Boosted Mood Brighter Space Better Concentration and Focus Reduced Stress In fact, studies show that indoor plants can help increase the overall concentration and productivity by up to 15% — now that’s a benefit everyone can enjoy. Healthy Home Dos & Don’ts Make the most of plants for the house by following these important tips. Do: Populate The Healthy Home With Indoor Plants Whether looking to improve their concentration or just brighten up their space with some greenery, there are truly no downsides to investing in plants for the house!  Don't: Rely On Indoor Plants For Better Air Quality Plants for the house don’t make a healthy home — healthy air does Plants for the house don’t make a healthy home — healthy air does. To improve the air in the home, residents can opt for AprilAire whole-house air filtration solutions, like AprilAire Whole-House Air Purifiers and Air Filters. Do: Seek Out Other Ways To Clear The Air Eliminating harmful airborne contaminants from the home is as easy as paying attention to the products and items that residents are bringing into the space. Do what one must to reduce the family’s exposure to harmful VOCs that lurk in cleaning products, carpeting, and more. It’ll also help protect the indoor plants! Don't: Forget About Humidity Control Plants for the house aren’t recommended for air filtration — and AprilAire doesn’t recommend relying on indoor plants for humidity control either. From fostering mold growth to creating an environment not suited for plant survival, unbalanced humidity levels not only harm the resident's health, but also the health of the indoor plants, too. For optimal humidity control, use AprilAire Whole-House Humidifiers and Dehumidifiers! Indoor plants offer a wealth of benefits, but people shouldn’t rely on plants for the house to improve the indoor air quality.

Families regularly using air filters that are quality and properly fitted — and replace them regularly — are more likely to experience the life-changing benefits of healthy air in their healthy home. By prioritizing air filtration, home owners can protect their home and family from airborne viruses, allergens, and more that can contribute to long-term health concerns. Benefits of Installing Air Filters “Indoor air pollution causes an estimated 4.3 million premature deaths each year,” as per BreatheLife2030.org.  With AprilAire Air Filters, users will experience a reduction of: Dust and Dust Mites Pollen Pet Dander Mold Spores  Airborne Viruses Two Types of Air Filters When researching the right filters for their home and family, there are two acronyms that residents are sure to come across - MERV and HEPA. These are different rating systems used to showcase how efficiently they filter particles from the air. MERV Rating MERV, which stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is a rating commonly used when referencing AprilAire Whole-House Air Purifiers. With MERV-rated air filters, the higher the rating, the more efficient the air filter. HEPA Rating HEPA air filters are designed to filter air at an exceptionally high standard HEPA, which stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filter, is a rating commonly used when referencing AprilAire Room Air Purifiers and other portable units.  HEPA air filters are designed to filter air at an exceptionally high standard, but shouldn’t be used with whole-house air filtration solutions as the increased static pressure created can damage the unit. Healthy Home Dos & Don’ts Foster a Healthy Home environment with these tips for using air filters. Do: Use An AprilAire Room Air Purifier With HEPA Air Filters Working hard to supplement the current air filtration solutions, AprilAire Room Air Purifiers offer HEPA air filters that fit all the family’s needs. Don’t: Buy Air Filters That Aren’t Genuine To The System’s Manufacturer Generic air filters won’t work with the AprilAire Whole-House Air Purifier. Due to their improper fit, they can actually make the indoor air quality worse off. But when residents opt for genuine AprilAire Air Filters, their Pure Fit Promise guarantees that the filter will fit snugly, producing better, and more efficient cleaning.  Do: Replace The Air Filters As Directed Replace the AprilAire Air Filter every 6 to 12 months and still experience protection from the worst allergy and asthma triggers and other airborne contaminants. Don’t: Forget About Ventilation In addition to air filtration, AprilAire Whole-House Fresh Air Ventilation makes the indoor air less stagnant by allowing airborne contaminants to cycle through the Healthy Home and be captured by using air filters. Without it, dust can settle and impact the long-term health. Do: Find An AprilAire MERV-Rated Air Filter That Fits The Needs AprilAire MERV-Rated Air Filters each offer unique, tailored protection. As their partners at the American Lung Association recommend, they only offer filters rated MERV 11 or higher for use in the whole-house units. To create a healthy home environment one desires, consider using air filters alongside the air filtration solutions. They are designed to help users target common airborne contaminants in the home’s air to better protect the family.