Tri-plex Progress - Introducing the Isabella

We are making very quick progress on our first Tri-plex, having broken ground in late October. There has been a lot of interest in our Tri-plex homes, largely because the design includes our Isabella model.

The Isabella boasts a slightly smaller footprint than our Brianna or Brittany styles, as it consists of 1,325 vs. 1,450 sq. ft. and offers a 1-car vs. 2 car attached garage. The home still features a full 1,325 sq. ft. unfinished lower level that may be customized to your personal taste. Floor plans and specifications may be found on our website.

Jacob's Edge, when fully developed will be a community of 25 homes, however, only 5 Isabella models are planned. The three homes pictured here will be ready in early spring, two of which are already spoken for as of this post. If you're thinking of a spring-summer move and would like to determine the right time to purchase your new home, please ask us about our Home To Home program.

Fire Separation Wall Installed

In the spring of 2009, South Hadley amended its building code to require that 3-family structures are to include a fire sprinkler system. As our "tri-plex" is considered a 3 family structure, we redesigned our plans to incorporate both the sprinkler system and a fire separation wall.

The first photo (on the right) shows how the wall is constructed, beginning with the foundation and base. The fire separation wall, or the privacy wall, is positioned between each attached home, providing an additional safety factor should a fire ever occur.

The construction is comprised of 5/8" drywall, followed by a 2 x 11" framed wall, R-15 high density insulation, a 1" air space, a 2" firewall (green fire resistant panel), and then the reverse of a 1' air space, 2 x 4" framed wall, R-15 high density insulation and the 5/8" dry wall.

The second photo shows the upper most peak with the fire separation wall in place.

Trusses Placed

With construction, there are many quiet days where only a few trucks dot the scene. Then there are the days that are a beehive of activity, with bulldozers, cement mixers, backhoes, etc.

It was certainly a "big rig" day at Jacob's Edge as the crane arrived to place the trusses on our brand new triplex that is currently under construction as part of Phase II. Luckily the very non-New England weather cooperated providing us with 55-degrees, sunshine and no wind, making the truss placement very smooth.