CONCRETANDO: Zero Energy Home and Office Provides Green Building Solution

For decades, Dale and Beverly Stevenart have been building energy-efficient homes. When it came time to build their dream home and office, they chose concrete building materials to help achieve the most sustainable structure. Located in Pueblo West, Colo., their Zero Energy model home and office is perfectly located for mountain views and access to state parks, bike trails, and marinas. PolySteel 4600 Series Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) were used for the exterior walls, and the mix included 15% recycled fly ash content. Atop the ICF walls, raised heel trusses complete the thermal envelope. Vbuck (by Vinyl Technologies, Inc.) window and door openings helped simplify the building process.

Concrete is also used to beautify the project inside and out. Nine-foot ceilings and walkout elements leading to a decorative imprinted concrete patio provide a feeling of open space. Surrounded by 33-inch tall concrete walls, the patio includes a floor drain and a 6-foot-wide stairway with four steps up to grade. Five-foot tall concrete courtyard walls enclose a cozy yard while still allowing moutnain views from the lower level office. Exterior walls are finished in El Rey cement-based stucco and Eldorado architectural stone veneer.

The 1,973-square-foot project boasts a HERS rating of 17, one of the best scores in the area. In addition to concrete, the home uses many other sustainable building products: 30 photovoltaic solar panels-, Insulstar polyurethane foam insulation, Energy Star lighting, recycled products, Energy Star Low-E NFRC-rated fiberglass windows and doors, water-sense toilets, a drip irrigation system, fire-rated roof, and five solar thermal panels to provide radiant heat in the floors and heating for domestic hot water. The Stevenhart's home also incorporates many measures to protect the indoor air quality.