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Concrete Homes Newsletter
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Concrete Homes Newsletter > 2008 > July/August
July/August 2008
Michigan Home Harnesses the Power of the Wind
Located in Onekama, Mich., the latest home certified LEED-Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council used insulating concrete forms (ICFs) and wind to achieve a high energy-efficiency rating. A wind generator takes advantage of the state’s highest wind zone, and an ICF flooring system houses a radiant heating system. The ICFs were installed by R-value Concrete Structures, LLC. Additionally, the concrete features recycled products: 30% fly ash replacement. Owners of the project also made a commitment to recycle as much construction waste as possible.
Built by Hybrid Homes and designed by Image Design, LLC, the house incorporates other sustainable features such as stained concrete, passive solar design, solar water heaters, soy-based spray foam insulation in the roof, solar-reflective shingles, siding that contains fly ash, and bamboo flooring. The home earned the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association’s “Exemplary Project” award and an ENERGY STAR rating of 5+ stars.
Good Looking... and Good for You
When a home is beautifully designed, people take notice. The same goes for a home that is environmentally friendly. But a home that features both characteristics can change people’s perceptions.
Just in time for peak allergy and asthma season, the American Lung Association unveiled its latest Health Home. Located in Overland Park, Kan., the home incorporates Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) and state-of-the-art windows, air filtration systems, low-VOC paint, a moisture control system, central vacuum system with high-efficiency particulate air filter and a complete radon mitigation system. The KC Health Home received a 55 home energy rating (HERS) index from ENERGY STAR, meaning the home is 45% more energy-efficient than the HERS reference home. A 95% efficient 16 SEER HVAC system was installed. Two heat recovery ventilators purify the indoor air once an hour.
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The home is located on a 2-acre lot with many trees. It is decorated in a Tuscan theme, with finishes of stucco, stone and concrete roof tile. Inside, warm wood tones grace the exposed rafters and hardwood flooring. Although the home is larger than 4,000 square feet, it still feels livable, with spacious common areas and bedrooms that allow for solitude.
Medical and building professionals were invited to tour the home and hear presentations over three days. PCA Residential Promotion Manager, Mike Collignon, spoke about the energy efficiency, safety and sustainability of ICFs to building professionals at the Health Home in May. The day for builders and architects had the highest attendance, estimated at about 135.
Home on the Range
The stereotype that everything is bigger in Texas has been proven true when it comes to an ICF home recently built just east of Dallas. Alan Hoffman, an ICF builder out of Dallas, used BuildBlock ICFs for this 13,000-square-foot, 15-room house. There are over fifteen rooms under roof. The Old World-style abode boasts three levels, one of which is partially underground. Entered through archways and a Zen garden, the basement features a game room, sauna and access to the 3-story elevator.
Concrete was used throughout the project, both inside and out. Besides concrete walls above and below grade, the roof was built of poured concrete and covered with steel shingles. The circular driveway, complete with fountain, is concrete. There are nine patios, some of which are elevated to the 2nd- and 3rd-floor levels. The 8-acre property also features a pool and tennis and basketball courts.
Carolina Builder Offers Affordable Concrete Masonry Homes
Many homebuyers think concrete systems are only used in large, multimillion-dollar homes. While a concrete building system can cost a little more than a traditional system upfront, the energy savings eventually outweigh the initial cost. As concrete building systems become more prevalent and builders become more adept at building with them, the price differences are beginning to narrow. Also, with the surging green building movement, mortgage and insurance companies are starting to encourage people to build safe, green houses.
Mark Correll, of Stone Master, is using concrete masonry to build smaller, affordable houses. Stone Master’s homes are located in the Charlotte area, in a modest neighborhood only minutes from I-85 and I-77. At less than $100.00 per square foot, these concrete masonry homes are selling for about the same price as wood framed homes in the same area.
With stone and stucco exteriors, the homes don’t look like they’re made of concrete. At around 1,375 square feet a piece, these two-bedroom homes are perfect for small families, couples, or singles. Stone Master wisely built taller 10-foot ceilings, making the cozy cottages seem more spacious. Prices range from $134,000 to $137,000, and homeowners will reap the benefits of lower heating and cooling bills, as well as noise reduction.
For more information about concrete masonry housing in the Carolinas, contact the Carolina Concrete Masonry Association online at www.ccmaonline.com or by phone at (866) 525-2008. For more general information about concrete masonry nationwide, contact the National Concrete Masonry Association online at www.ncma.org or by phone at (703) 713-1900.
First Concrete Countertop Design Expo Announced
On August 23, 2008, at the Sacramento Convention Center in Sacramento, Calif., the first Concrete Countertop Design Expo will be held. The Design Expo, announced by the Concrete Countertop Institute in late May, will be an exciting event where designers can learn more about concrete countertops. The Institute also organizers the annual Concrete Countertop Industry Conference (CCIC), which draws hundreds of concrete countertop professionals from all over the world. The new Design Expo will immediately follow the CCIC, allowing architects, builders, and designers to meet the professionals, and see and learn from their work.
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“We hope the Design Expo will inspire design and building professionals to make use of this versatile, moldable material for kitchen, bath, sink, tub, fireplace, and even furniture designs,” explains Lane Magnum, Conference Manager. “Secondly, we hope to provide them with the practical knowledge to create problem-free designs. Lastly, we hope to connect them with craftspeople who can collaborate and execute their creations."
The Design Expo will feature a “Show & Tell” session led by concrete countertop professionals, allowing interested parties to learn from the experts. Participants also will be able to view the showcase of concrete countertop examples, attend an educational luncheon seminar on design, and participate in judging the entries for the Designer’s Choice award.
For more information, about the Concrete Countertop Design Expo, visit www. concretecountertopdesignexpo.com or call 866-844-0999.
Thanks to the Concrete Countertop Institute for this article.
74 Attend 4th Annual Concrete Technologies Tour
On June 1-3, The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Concrete Home Building Council (CHBC) held the 4th annual Concrete Technologies Tour. Of the 74 in attendance, 50 were building professionals. The tour was based in Charlotte, N.C., and participants viewed job sites, plants, and factories in North and South Carolina.
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On the first day, participants started out by viewing concrete masonry job sites and completed concrete masonry projects. These projects were all smaller, affordable houses, something many builders were excited to see. Many builders were pleasantly surprised to see how they could create affordable, sustainable concrete homes for middle and lower income families. Participants also visited a job site utilizing James Hardie fiber-cement siding, where they could inspect the Hardie Plank product and watch installation in progess. The second half of the day included a tour of a CEMEX Ready-Mix plant, a presentation by PolySteel on insulated concrete forms, and a visit to a PolySteel job site. Polysteel also paraded smaller, affordable houses.
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On the second day, attendees walked through Carolina Bomanite. They saw a concrete polishing demonstration, and were able to look, touch, and learn about many different applications of decorative concrete. They also visited Modern Polymers (an ICF factory), and toured a Superior Walls precast plant.
Tour sponsors included Portland Cement Association, CEMEX, Holcim, National Concrete Masonry Association, Superior Walls, Carolina Concrete Masonry Association, Carolinas Concrete Ready-Mix Association, Besser, and Hanley Wood.
NAHB Green Building Conference Showcases Concrete Homebuilding
Concrete homebuilding was prominently featured at the 10th Annual NAHB National Green Building Conference held in New Orleans in May. Over 1,500 builders, remodelers, and other industry professionals attended. This year’s exhibits represented the largest offering of sustainable products and systems shown at the Conference to date. PCA’s Director of Residential Jim Niehoff helped educate attendees in the Concrete Homebuilding Council booth.
In addition, wo presentations on concrete homebuilding were conducted. The first gave local builders looking for more sustainable and hurricane-resistant construction approaches an opportunity to hear local concrete homebuilders discussing their positive experiences with various technologies. First, Donn Thompson of PCA offered an overview of the green features of various concrete homebuilding systems and finishes. Then L.M. Rice of Coastal Polysteel, Brian Opert of Precast Building Solutions, and Randy Wilkerson of Sustainable Building Components described their high-performance concrete housing alternatives for coastal regions. On the final day of the conference, Donn presented an Introduction to Insulating Concrete Forms (ICF), featuring the products from all eight ICF systems represented in the exhibit hall.
Several of the awards for innovation and excellence in green home building announced at the conference featured sustainable concrete homebuilding technologies. The single family custom home award winner, built by Chaffey Homes of Kirkland, Wash., featured pervious concrete paving as part of its design. The concept home award winner, designed by Torti Gallas and Partners and built in Omaha, Neb., featured an ICF foundation system.
Next year’s NAHB Green Building Conference will be held at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas , May 8-10, 2009.
TCA/PCA National Design Competition: Fire Storm Housing 2008
The Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA) and the Portland Cement Association (PCA) are sponsoring Fire Storm Housing 2008, where students in the field of architecture will be invited to present conceptual designs for firestorm-resistant housing located in the Santa Ana region of California using tilt-up panels.
Tilt-Up concrete is one of the fastest growing construction techniques in the United States. It is a method by which building elements are site cast and set into final position with a crane. Over the last decade, the sophistication and aesthetic quality of Tilt-Up buildings has risen dramatically. Tilt-Up panels can be formed into any shape, and can be very large, more than 30 ft. wide and several stories tall. Concrete has inherent durability, thermal mass properties, and fire resistance capabilities exceeding all other standard building materials.
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This competition seeks to challenge entrants in creatively solving the problem of producing a custom, single-family residence for a model home in one of the most severely affected areas in California, the Santa Ana region. Current rebuilding efforts demonstrate that left to the existing knowledge base, these homes will only be reconstructed with the same combustible materials and little, if any, systems to limit or prevent future damage from eminent repeating firestorms.
Entrants are encouraged to present prominent, architecturally significant design solutions for this housing unit that can be placed in new rebuild communities that provide measurable improvements to long-term durability.
Entries are due by August 15. For more information on the Student Design Competition, please visit www.tilt-up.org/students. To find out more about Tilt-Up concrete, please visit www.tilt-up.org.
Entrants to the 2008 TCA/PCA Storm Housing Competition are encouraged to also submit their project to the 2009 Concrete Thinking for a Sustainable World, sponsored by PCA and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). Visit the competition website for more information at www.acsa-arch.org.
Thanks to TCA for this article.
Upcoming Events
- Concrete Countertop Institute's Intensive Precast Countertops and Sinks Class, Raleigh, North Carolina, July 14-18 More
- Tile Roofing Institute's Installer Certification Program, Brea, California, July 15 More
- Concrete Countertop Institute's Advanced 3-D Design Class,
Raleigh, North Carolina, July 21-25 More
- Concrete Roof Tile Lunch n' Learn, Kansas City, Missouri, July 24 More
- CFA Summer Meeting, Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, July 31-August 2 More
- NCMA Midyear Meeting, Huntington Beach, California, August 6-10 More
- Concrete Countertop Industry Conference, Sacramento, California, August 21-23 More
PCA Bookstore Clearance Sale
Times are tough in the residential homebuilding industry right now, so we thought we would help ease the burden by dropping the prices on some publications, while conducting a sale on others.
Click here to see the new reduced prices!
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