Where Comfort Meets Care

Spray Foam Magazine – Summer 2025 – Artemis Living at Littleton, New Hampshire, is redefining senior living by creating a "longevity community" focused on holistic well-being. Set to open its first phase in Spring 2026, this development emphasizes high-performance construction as foundational to its mission. Central to achieving this is a sophisticated building envelope strategy heavily reliant on advanced insulation materials from Enverge Spray Foam, expertly installed by Blue Lodge Insulation.  

The Vision and the Need for Superior Insulation

Artemis Living aims to integrate wellness practices into daily life, guided by pillars like personalized care, well-being, physical strength, and a safe environment. This vision demands a superior building envelope to ensure stable temperatures, minimal drafts, and healthy indoor air quality – essential for resident comfort and well-being, particularly in assisted living and memory care units. Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation was identified as key to meeting these needs due to its ability to create an airtight seal and provide high thermal resistance.  

The project stakeholders selected Enverge spray foam products based on explicit performance goals: achieving "high energy efficiency" and a "complete seal" for the building envelope. The choice reflects confidence in Enverge's portfolio and their technical support. The specification of Enverge foam aligns with the project's long-term perspective, promising lower operational costs through superior energy efficiency.  

Strategic Application of Enverge Products

A precise, performance-driven insulation strategy deployed specific Enverge products tailored to different areas of the building:  

Under Slab: Two inches of Enverge One Pass closed-cell spray foam were applied. This provides a crucial thermal break, preventing heat loss to the ground. Its closed-cell structure acts as a robust barrier against ground moisture and soil gases, while its rigidity withstands slab loads.  

Exterior Walls: Three inches of Enverge One Pass closed-cell spray foam were installed in the walls. This application delivers significant thermal resistance (R-7.2 per inch) and creates a continuous air barrier by sealing gaps and conforming to surfaces. It also functions as a vapor retarder and contributes to wall rigidity. Its ability to be applied in thicker layers potentially enhances installation efficiency.  

Roof Deck: Fourteen inches of Enverge EasySeal open-cell spray foam were applied to the underside of the roof deck. Open-cell foam expands significantly to completely fill the deep roof cavities, eliminating voids and achieving a high total R-value (approximately R-53.2 in this application, exceeding typical code minimums). It provides excellent air sealing at the roofline and offers valuable sound attenuation. Open-cell foam is often a cost-effective solution for achieving high R-values in deep cavities.  

This hybrid approach leverages the unique strengths of both Enverge foam types: the moisture resistance, higher R-value per inch, and structural contribution of closed-cell foam in critical areas, and the cost-effective, high R-value, cavity-filling, and air-sealing properties of open-cell foam in the roof assembly.  

Benefits Delivered by Enverge Foam

The combined use of Enverge One Pass and EasySeal foam creates a continuous thermal boundary and air barrier system across the entire envelope. This directly achieves the project's goals of high energy efficiency and a complete seal, minimizing thermal bridging and uncontrolled air leakage. This comprehensive seal enhances comfort, reduces HVAC loads, and improves indoor air quality by limiting the infiltration of exterior pollutants – all vital for the health and well-being central to the Artemis Living philosophy. The sound reduction from the open-cell foam further contributes to a tranquil environment, especially important in memory care settings.  

Endorsement and Future Commitment

The success of the initial phase has led to a strong endorsement of Enverge spray foam. Project stakeholders plan to use Enverge One Pass and EasySeal extensively in future phases, including a 57,000 sq. ft. medical facility, a daycare center, and 22 additional homes. The commitment to use “another 200 sets” signifies confidence that spray foam meets the demanding requirements for energy efficiency, durability, and comfort across various building types, including healthcare facilities with stringent environmental control needs. This continued specification underscores the crucial role of the partnership between Enverge as the material supplier and Blue Lodge Insulation as the skilled applicator. “Enverge is proud to partner with Blue Lodge Insulation on this large commercial project,” said Joe Drapeau, Northeast Area Sales Representative. “Their expertise and attention to detail has made them one of the most respected insulation installers in the region.”

Artemis Living at Littleton, through its strategic use of spray foams, demonstrates how advanced insulation technology directly supports the creation of high-performance senior living environments. The project highlights that investing in a superior building envelope with spray foam is fundamental to delivering a higher standard of care, enhancing quality of life, and fulfilling the promise of creating environments where seniors can thrive.