Want to lower project costs and enjoy a faster build cycle all while improving the quality of the finished product? Of course you do. HercuTech’s HercuWall, the poster child of reNEWable Living Home 2018, makes it possible. The Product HercuWall offers the durability of composite concrete construction without the need for steel rebar. The product comes with a water and vapor barrier, and it is dust free, impervious to mold, and unappealing to termites. Each HercuWall kit is computer generated and precision cut to meet product specifications, including casings for windows and doors. Upon delivery, block masons and framers can quickly and easily assemble the prefabricated panels—each weighing 40 pounds or fewer–without any modifications on the site. Builders can enjoy less mess, no wasted materials, and reduced worksite clutter. Completed HercuWall products came in a range of insulation value ratings, including R-20, R-29 and R-33. When supported with energy efficient windows and adequate HVAC units, HercuWall can reduce energy costs by 40-60 percent. The performance of the product does not diminish over time, resulting in long lasting durability and comfort. Now for the information that you’ve been waiting for: HercuWall is competitively priced with block and wood framing. The prefabricated kits make it quick and easy to assemble, reducing the labor and time needed. HercuTech cites that a 2,400 square-foot production house can be installed in 2.5 hours and concrete placed in two more hours with a crew of five. According to the HercuTech website: “Experts predict that this type of construction will have higher resale value than conventionally built structures.” Live Applications There are several completed residences in Arizona as well as the Meritage Homes reNEWable Living Home, a partnership with BUILDER Magazine. The reNEWable Living Home showcases groundbreaking products in sustainable building....

As several devastating natural disasters have leveled towns and stalled economies, industry attention returns to smarter building. Construction professionals seek materials that are durable, versatile, and sustainable. An existing concrete product may be the key to better building. Conventional concrete—the go-to material for low- and mid-rise buildings— lacks the combination of compressive strength, tensile strength, and durability needed to withstand high magnitude earthquakes and daily wear. Concrete cracks, crumbles and collapses during earthquakes, leaving high repair costs and the potential loss of life. Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) sought to improve upon concrete without increasing the cost of construction. Their creation, eco-friendly ductile cementitious composite (EDCC), eclipses conventional concrete in three ways. Sustainability Conventional concrete production is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas, totaling 7 percent of global emissions. EDCC replaces 70 percent of cement with fly ash, which reduces the levels of carbon dioxide emitted. Additionally, EDCC reduces land and water pollution. The fly ash in EDCC is industrial waste that would otherwise end up in landfills or dumped into rivers and streams. Strength + Malleability Once dry, EDCC becomes as strong as steel yet is much more flexible. A half-inch thick concrete wall can resist a magnitude 9 earthquake when sprayed with a layer of EDCC  10 millimeters thick, UBC reports. Without the EDCC reinforcement, a wall of that thickness would collapse at 65 percent intensity. Versatility EDCC is a sprayable concrete mixture that can be used to reinforce and support thin concrete walls. Thinner concrete walls expand design possibilities without limiting the integrity of the structure. The spray facilitates easier application and a broader range of uses. Builders and engineers are already using the fiber-reinforced concrete to create in schools and businesses. EDCC can also be applied to...

Touted as the one of the nation’s most energy efficient structures, the Rocky Mountain Institute’s new headquarters doesn’t just survive Colorado’s harsh winters – it thrives. With nighttime temperatures hovering around 5 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, and an average of 90 inches of snow per year, Basalt, Colorado may not seem like the ideal spot for one of the world’s most energy efficient buildings. That didn’t stop the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) from choosing a new location along the Basalt’s Roaring Fork River for their new headquarters. With neighbors like Aspen and Snowmass, RMI’s property shines like a beacon amidst snowcapped mountains and knee-high drifts, but it’s the 252 days of sunlight per year that help this architectural set piece maintain 60-degree indoor temperatures even during the coldest night of the year. The surrounding ski resorts actually helped inspire the building’s structure. As Justin Brooks, lead designer ZFG Architects explains in an interview with Gizmodo, “It’s a very Colorado Solution. If you’re wearing a down jacket that’s highly insulated on the back, you can still sit outside and enjoy a beer.” RMI’s building follows similar logic. The building capitalizes on all those sunny days by using airflow, directed ventilation and solar panels to capture the solar gain from the south side of the building – which gets the most direct exposure to sunlight – and use it to manage the temperature inside. Rooftop solar panels and high-performance quad-pane windows also do their part, the former contributing to the structure’s power load and the latter trapping thermal energy. The building’s exterior also contributes, with a “super tight” building envelope and sunshades on the façade that move based on weather sensor data. Kinetic and responsive, the outside of the building excels at controlling glare and...

Two new recycled brick products offer energy efficient, low-cost solutions for your next green building project. WasteBasedBricks, manufactured by Amsterdam-based StoneCycling, produces bricks by creating a composite of demolition waste, rejected clay, leftover ceramics, insulation, and glass. Clients can chose between machined bricks for large-scale products as well as intriguing handmade bricks for accents and special features. Bricks range from 70 percent to 100 percent recycled product. Each building material is collected within a 150-kilometer radius of the factories that collaborate with StoneCyling.The proximity to manufacturing hubs keeps transportation costs and emissions low. By integrating salvaged building materials, the company is able to reduce the amount of construction waste that is shipped to landfills. “We like to use only secondary materials,” Ward Massa, co-owner of StoneCycling, explained to FastCoexist. “That way it doesn’t end up somewhere in the landfill or being sent to other countries—we reuse it as new raw materials.” StoneCycling keeps production costs low, which allows the company to pass savings on to clients: StoneCycling can also skip clay excavation and processing costs. Manufacturing the product requires less energy than traditional bricks. In Charlotte, North Carolina, Green Leaf Brick raises the bar on green building materials by offering several lines of 100 percent recycled materials. Each product is 100 percent refuse content and as much as 30 percent post consumer waste. Green Leaf Brick, a creation of Red Tree Group, developed the bricks in response to the loads of construction waste heading to American landfills. The company aims to make use of waste streams with little residual commercial use. Brick products include more than 25 recycled raw materials. Different combinations of those materials result in a line of aesthetically stunning bricks and pavers in a wide range of colors and textures. There...

By harnessing every footstep, Pavegen floor tiles turn walkways into energy sources and help cities convert pedestrians into power. What if that “spring in your step” could be converted to energy? Imagine your footsteps providing enough power to light the path you’re walking on, or even contribute to the overall load at the supermarket you cruise or the airport you rush through to catch a flight. For Pavegen CEO and Founder Laurence Kemball-Cook, every footfall provides an opportunity. “My idea was a floor tile that would convert the kinetic energy from a footstep into electricity,” Kemball-Scott explains in an interview with The Guardian. “Every time someone steps on the tile, they generate seven watts of power. The energy is stored within batteries, and then used to power lighting when it’s needed. It’s an off-grid power source for cities.” Kinetic Energy Recovery With its triangular design, the Pavegen tile captures the downward force applied by each step across its surface. Outfitted with flywheels in each corner, one tread applies enough pressure to spin the tile’s tiny turbines. Electromagnetic induction transforms this kinetic energy into electrical energy, which can then be stored or used. Describing the tiles to Bloomberg News as “a viable new type of off-grid energy technology,” Kemball-Cook strongly believes in the product’s potential for “a low-carbon contribution wherever there is high footfall, regardless of the weather.” Durable Design Though Kemball-Cook’s prototype met with lukewarm support – Al Gore and Shell were a few early advocates – improvements in durability and generation potential have increased interest in the Pavegen tiles. Kemball-Cook improved on the power generation of the initial concept by adding additional flywheels and a triangular design. The latest version of Pavegen is also stronger and more reliable. “The floor is one of...

The SURE HOUSE strikes a balance between mitigating and protecting against the vagaries of climate change and extreme weather all under one charming, beach cottage roof. The winner of the US Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon for 2015, the SURE HOUSE is an entirely solar-powered structure designed to make the most of the weather, including sunny days and stormy nights while providing its inhabitants with a comfortable, modern dwelling. Designed by the Stevens Institute of Technology, the SURE HOUSE rose to the top of a roster including 14 collegiate teams competing for a shot at developing the country’s most innovative, sustainable and marketable solar home. Occurring every two years, the Solar Decathlon challenges participants to design efficient, economical, and visually appealing solar-powered habitation. The teams must construct and operate their proposed habitats, which are then judged on “affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.” With an eye toward the challenges posed by climate change and unpredictable weather patterns, the SURE HOUSE splits the difference between a charming beach cottage and hurricane safe-house. During sunny, mild days, the building’s design takes advantage of outdoor space by opening up to reveal a combination of decks and patios modeled after “the quintessential 60’s style modern beach cottage.” Its integrated solar panels, meanwhile, can produce up to 10,000 watts of power. While the design may be inspired by the 1960s, SURE HOUSE only requires 90% less energy than a conventional house. Its “ultra-low energy consumption” comes primarily from the incorporation of highly efficient appliances, including a solar-powered electric water heater and an energy recovery ventilation system, along with zoned heat pumps for heating, cooling, and dehumidification. Additionally, an extremely efficient building envelope helps manage indoor temperature and reduce HVAC demand. While the...

There is one thing the Egyptian Pyramids, Rome’s Colosseum, India’s Taj Mahal, and the Great Wall of China have in common: masonry. All these astonishing architectural achievements, scattered all over the globe, share the same building technique chosen for its beauty, versatility, and durability. The level of complexity varies from simple masonry to ornate exteriors or high-rise buildings. After more than 6000 years, masonry is still used today. Just go down the street and look around at the office buildings, schools, houses, or patios and you’ll see some form of masonry. Traditional builders are convinced that regardless of the material used – whether it is brick, block, tile, terra-cotta, or stone – the skill and precision of the mason can never be replaced by machines. One Australian engineer presented a robot that wants to prove otherwise. Fastbrick Robotics has finished developing the robot named Hadrian (after the ancient Roman emperor Hadrian, who had a thing for construction and ordered the building of Great Britain’s famous Hadrian’s Wall). It took the engineers ten years and $7 million spent in research and development to bring Hadrian to life. Even though the robot is still in the prototype stage, Mike Pivac, an aeronautical and mechanical engineer, and the CEO of Fastbrick Robotics, hopes to bring the commercial machine onto the market within the next couple of years. Hadrian is able to handle, process, and lay 1,000 bricks an hour, work 24/7, and complete the shell of a brick house in just two days. This means 150 homes a year! Here is god to know that a standard house takes around 15,000 bricks to develop, and about six weeks to complete through the traditional method. The first step in putting Hadrian to work is creating the layout of...

Building a house is nothing like ordering a pizza over the phone. But maybe it should be. With few exceptions, restaurants order ingredients and supplies in advance. They create a menu of offerings and then take orders over the phone based on the menu listings. Substitutions are made when the order is placed. Once the staff ensures that they have what’s needed, the order is filled. What if contractors took the same approach? It has happened before with a high success rate. Rosie Romero offered “the impossible promise” that projects would come in on time and on budget, or they would be free. Jeb Breithaupt of JEB Design/Build in Shreveport, La. reports to Builder Online that he’s making a similar offer to his clients.  Both offer the promise by mimicking the pizza process. The design/build firms spec out the project, like creating a menu and pricing. Clients then make selections and customizations as needed. Once the availability of materials is verified, the orders are placed. Homeowners view and approve the orders and then ground breaks on the project. Clients can’t go back and make changes to the order. The contractors aren’t surprised by changes in price or the availability of materials after the fact. It’s all arranged before the first shovel juts into the ground. This process makes so much sense. “That’s what my company tries to do on custom home projects. I’ve also tried it on a couple of design/build jobs, and believe it or not, it’s making our process smoother and our clients happier,” says Breithaupt. The pizza process has notable benefits. It saves time: No more waiting for materials to arrive or delaying progress because of scheduling problems with subcontractors. Everything is available when and where you need it because it...

The U.S. apartment market is getting back on track.  As of July 2014, 386,000 units are underway, shows Fannie Mae’s Housing Industry Forum.  Multifamily research firm Axiometrics reported that year-to-date effective rent growth was the highest since the Great Recession, with June 2014’s YTD effective rent growth clocking in at 4.5 percent. Class B properties continued to provide the strongest growth among all asset classes at a 4 percent effective rent growth. Occupancy also shows a positive YTD growth, inching up from June 2013’s 94.8 percent to 95 percent for June 2014. Revenue growth is also on an upwards swing at 3.9 percent in June. MPF Research data shows that professionally managed apartments experienced a 3 percent rent increase in 2013. The growth rate was double at 6 percent in the 20 most rapidly appreciating markets, most of which are located in Northern California, with Denver and Corpus Christi also making the cut, shows Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Nominal rents for contract rents went up 2.8 percent in 2013, only slightly more than 2012, according to the consumer price index (CPI).  Professionally managed properties with five units or more increased rents by 3 percent, somewhat more restrained than the previous year’s 3.7 percent. Overall, rent growth outpaced the overall inflation rate of 1.5 percent. Multifamily starts grew by a whopping 25 percent in 2013, surpassing the 300,000 unit marker for the first time since 2007. New York (30,000), Los Angeles (17,700), and Houston (16,800) issued most permits, while Atlanta, Baltimore, Detroit, and Riverside had the largest growth rate.  Overall, 67 of the top 100 metros saw multifamily permitting increase in 2013 with 50 of the largest metros’ construction levels returning to mid-2000s levels. Permitting exceeded 2000s averages in 47 of the...

Giant 3D printers, though still in the research stage, may be the perfect candidate to replace built-by-hand homes. USC Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis designed a robot able to build a 2,500-square-foot home in just 24 hours. The process, called Contour Crafting, is in fact scaling up 3D printing to the scale of the building. The big robot’s actions are dictated by a computer program: the construction site is cleared and leveled; the workers lay down two rails a few feet further apart than the building’s width and a computer-controlled contour crafter takes over from there. A gantry-type crane with a hanging nozzle squirts out concrete and with a components-placing arm travels along the rails. The nozzle lays layers of concrete creating hollow walls, and fills them in with additional concrete. People would only install doors and windows. The animation here gives a pretty good idea of how it would ultimately work. “It’s a CAD/CAM solution,” says Khoshnevis. The buildings are “designed on computer and built by a computer”. This method has proved to produce much stronger structures than traditional building methods. According to Contour Crafting, the tested wall is a 10,000PSI (pounds per square inch) strength compared to the average 3,000PSI of a regular wall. With the Contour Crafting solution the cost of home-owning could be slashed, making it possible for millions more humans – especially in developing countries –  to have houses. The first thing that comes to mind is the opportunity to build emergency and replacement housing in disaster relief areas, such as recovery from typhoons and hurricanes. It could also be used to build high-quality shelter for those living in desperate conditions: at the beginning of the 21st century, there are almost one billion people in need of stable housing around the world....