Harris Residence- Kentucky, USA

This gorgeous ranch-style home in Louisville, Kentucky was built with Nudura Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs). The homeowners, initially unfamiliar with ICFs, were introduced to the alternative building method by their builder. With lumber prices soaring during the pandemic, the energy efficiency, sound reduction, and disaster resilience offered by ICFs seemed an attractive proposition. And the decision has paid off.

The exterior of the ICF home portrays the modern farmhouse aesthetic they were after. More than just its beautiful façade, the design versatility of ICFs gave the homeowners a truly one-of-a-kind home.

The difference in thermal performance was also very noticeable between their new ICF home and previous wood-frame house. Homeowner Dave Harris explained, "when we lived in a stick frame home before, the temperature would vary because it can get up to 100 degrees or down to zero degrees in any given year. Now that we've been here a little bit, the nice thing is it holds temperature, meaning it takes longer for this house to get hot or cold. So when you set the thermostat, it stays at that temperature and it doesn't deviate."

The family also reported a significant 25% reduction in energy bills. Their smart thermostat even ranked their home in the 90th percentile for energy savings compared to other local houses.  This is due to the airtightness of ICF construction, which reduces air infiltration and energy loss.

Furthermore, the sound attenuation of ICFs has provided a peaceful living experience for the family. The insulated concrete forms successfully block out street noise and sound from storms. When inside their ICF farmhouse, "you can barely even hear the rain or if there's wind going on. That's a great feature of the home," said Harris.

ICFs also provide superior disaster resilience compared to traditional wood-frame construction, so the homeowners feel their ICF ranch gives them an invaluable sense of safety and security in an area prone to tornadoes and storms.