March-April 2004

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Upscale new homes show that concrete isn’t just for driveways anymore.

By Therese Dunphy

When most people think of concrete homes, they imagine a tract of concrete block homes in a less-than-affluent neighborhood. But that image is changing. During the last decade, concrete home construction has been getting an extreme makeover, and upscale homebuyers are catching on.

“I think in the high-end market, price isn’t the deciding factor,” says Mike Weber, the Portland Cement Association’s director of residential. “They look at quality of life, energy savings, and design capabilities.”

While concrete homes cost approximately 2 to 4 percent more than wood, they are gaining overall market share. In 1993, 3 percent of new homes were concrete. That number rose to 14.4 percent in 2002, and is projected to reach 18.5 percent in 2006.

A broader acceptance of concrete construction technologies, along with increasing aesthetic options, have fueled the surge. While concrete blocks have long been used to form the basic structure of homes, contractors are becoming increasingly skilled at alternative methods such as cast-in-place walls, precast panels, and the use of insulated concrete forms (ICFs).

In January, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) featured ICF construction techniques in its showcase project at the International Builders Show held in Las Vegas. The New American Home (pictured at left) is a 5,180-sq. ft. home that uses aggregates in a variety of methods: the below- and above-grade walls are made up of ICF construction; three different concrete flooring techniques are used on interior floors; and the exterior finish features decorative concrete masonry and stucco as well as exposed aggregate decking. This home, which retailed for approximately $1.8 million, marks the first time since 1994 that concrete- and cement-based products have provided the majority of structural elements to NAHB’s feature home.

While The New American Home underscores how far concrete construction has come, it is not the only example of upscale concrete homes. In Springdale, Utah, near Zion National Park, developer Allan Staker built Gifford Park, a subdivision of 15 luxury homes ranging in price from $400,000 to $1,000,000. The homes, which are designed to blend into the surrounding landscape, also make use of a variety of aggregates. The builder uses multi-ton slabs of Navajo sandstone extracted from a nearby quarry and transported to the site where they are broken and chiseled into the correct shapes for exterior accents. ICF construction is used for the exterior walls, while concrete tiles — designed to resemble shake shingles — are used on the roof.

Later this spring, construction will be completed on an high-end apartment complex in the greater Atlanta area. The Paramount at Buckhead (known as the Beverly Hills of the East) will feature 300 units built in 39 stories and a five-story underground parking lot. With a final height of 478 ft., the apartment building is expected to be the world’s tallest structure built with tunnelforms.

Projects such as these and many more are gaining momentum with homebuyers looking for an alternative to stick construction. Aggregate producers looking to increase their residential construction business should learn more about these construction methods and develop relationships with local architects and contractors.

The New American Home features insulating concrete forms (ICFs) for exterior walls and landscaped walls.

Therese Dunphy is editorial director for Aggregates Manager.