The Sundial Building: A New Perspective On Sustainable Apartment Living

Welcome to the Sundial Building. A project developed and managed by our very own Jim Kumon. This building is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Sundial is very special, in more ways than you can imagine. The premise was to create an all electric, net zero multi-family apartment. It was built to be 30% more insulated than codes require them to be, to prevent heat from escaping the building and it reuses heat from kitchens and dryers saving on dwellers’ heating costs. The choice to use triple-pane windows and even which direction they are facing, contribute to the effciency of this sustainable beauty. They’ve also included ventless clothes dryers to prevent air from escaping which in turn also limits costs for heating and cooling. Water for the building is collected rainwater, which is stored, treated and directed for non-potable use including toilet water and outdoor irrigation for native plants and grasses. The Sundial also uses solar energy to pre-heat water, which then when needed, is re-heated by an air source heat pump which transfers heat from the air into the water tanks. Solar panels power the Sundial and all of its resident’s apartments, which is a huge cost savings, and more importantly sustainable. Sundial is a hyper-recycling and waste diversion-oriented community. They offer on-site composting removal services and bins. The site for this project was thoughtfully picked to be walkable to local amenities, along bikeable routes and nearby local transit lines. There is even a bike enclosure to securely store residents’ bicylces. Every aspect of the Sundial was conciously decided and Jim’s attention to contruction detail is admirable and incredible.

To learn more and to apply for a unit in the Sundial click HERE!

& click HERE to read a Southwest Voices Article by Charlie Rybak featuring the Sundial!

Faith Cable Kumon and Jim Kumon inside the Sundial during Construction