High-Performance Home

by Michele Dawson

Insulating concrete forms, as well as other technologies that use expanded polystyrene insulating foam, help create tighter, more efficient homes.

On an empty lot in an existing neighborhood in Paterson, N.J., a prototype for the future of urban homebuilding is taking shape.

In late June, ground was broken on a 2,900-square-foot, three-story demonstration house that will show how to use state-of-the-art building technology and innovative products to create an affordable, energy-efficient, eco-friendly structure. When it s completed this fall, the Paterson Showhouse project, as it s called, will serve as a clinic for homeowners, builders, architects, government officials and other parties, who will be able to tour the home to explore its green design features and advanced, yet economical, building techniques, says Gary DeSantis, corporate architect for BASF - The Chemical Company, which is spearheading the construction of the home as part of its global Better Home, Better Planet environmental initiative. This is a vision I ve had for quite a while, DeSantis adds. More >

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