The Concrete Home

Extremely durable, versatile, and sustainable to boot, concrete is a smart building material, as these homes show.

Concrete is certainly a robust building material, it can withstand extreme weather conditions and requires little maintenance as a non-porous substance. I read it boasts excellent thermal mass, which is suppose to reduce energy spent on heating and cooling. They say concrete takes less energy to produce compared to other materials, and boasts low CO2 emissions. And I like the modern lines and clean space it creates. All to say I’m a fan of concrete homes—check out some of my favorite projects using this raw, versatile material.

Meanwhile, I have started drawing up some plans for a concrete home I want to build. It will probably be located in the Midwest but I am suspect that the home will prove difficult to heat and cool. Mostly I’m concerned about the sun and heat in the Summer. Maybe if I can design a small garden with grassy areas on the roof that will help?