Salt River Materials Group and Phoenix-area contractors and suppliers partnered to demonstrate “green” building technologies in the first concrete Habitat for Humanity® home in central Arizona. 

Completed a few weeks ago, the home is constructed with above-grade concrete walls, conditioned attic space, and energy-efficient windows and HVAC equipment.  These elements combined to allow the home to reach the coveted “Net Zero” energy designation. Exceeding Energy Star® certification, the project also received LEED® for Homes Platinum status with a score of 114 that well exceeded the required 80 points for this prestigious honor.

The home's walls are constructed with a HercuWall™ system of EPS foam and reinforced concrete that provides an energy-efficient, thermal building envelope that earned a final HERS Index Score of -4. Depending on the family’s usage, they could actually put energy back out on the grid. 

The house has a specially designed roof system of concrete roofing tiles with a solar reflectance index of 99 combined with a building integrated photovoltaic solar roof system. Additional concrete elements include a pervious concrete driveway, concrete countertops, and integral color concrete floors. Fly ash and recycled aggregate were used extensively throughout the project.

Selected from more than 200 entries, the home appeared on the U.S. Green Building Council's "Contemporary Desert Living" tour, which showcases sustainable homes that embrace the region's culture.