Residential new home.
The residential home was designed and built for our client. The owners wanted to create a well-insulated home for the Canberra climate, low to maintain, multi-generational and exceptionally comfortable.
To achieve their goals, they needed to find an external wall solution that performed or exceeded current types. The clients researched and found Insulating Concrete Forms, which have been in use throughout Europe, North and South America for 60 years. This type of construction is being championed in many countries because of its disaster and fire resilience and insulating performance. The client discovered that they could eliminate six other steps in the building phase by using one product.
The clients built their two stories four-bedroom, three hundred and forty square meters, north-facing home in 2013 for an all up cost of four hundred thousand dollars or one thousand two hundred dollars per square meter fully finished. Below are some of the high lights of their home.
Energy Rating
The home has a minimum energy rating of 8.5 stars. The clients commented that the Eco Block ICF wall system is so efficient, it makes up for all the other products that are not as energy efficient.
Insulation and Energy Savings
Because the Eco Block ICF walls have the benefits of insulation (Eco Block) and the thermal mass (concrete), there is minimal energy transfer between the inside and outside. With the superior wall performance, the client did not require ducted air conditioning through out the house. A further saving on the construction cost of around $15 to $20,000. What was needed was a split system upstairs and downstairs.
The clients rarely turn on the split systems because the home retains the heat and or cool air for eight hours. Thereby reducing their energy cost by between forty and sixty per cent. A significant financial saving.
“Eco Block is as good as it gets!”
“Eco Block is faster and cost-effective to use, without taking into account all of the many other benefits, such acoustic performance and the low maintenance savings.”
ModArch architecture principal Hooman Ehsani
The client is looking forward to building his next home from Eco Block ICF Forms.
