Local project wins national award: Affordable, energy-efficient design was key
February 18, 2010
Contact: Clark Ricks, Editorial Director, editor@icfmag.com, 801.310.8319
For Immediate Release
Local Project Wins National Award
Affordable, Energy-Efficient Design was Key
The Ironwood Hall in Chandler, AZ was recently recognized as one of the most innovative Heavy Commercial projects in the country. The honor was presented as part of the ICF Builder Awards, an international competition designed to showcase the advantages of building with Insulated Concrete Forms, commonly called ICFs. ICFs are hollow foam blocks which are stacked and then filled with steel-reinforced concrete. The finished structure combines the strength of concrete with the insulating properties of foam, which stays in place to insulate and protect the walls. This construction method can reduce energy bills by up to 70 percent, block exterior noise, and are extremely disaster resistant. As an additional benefit, they are one of the most popular ways to “build green” costing between 5 to 10 percent more than regular frame construction.
The Ironwood Hall was named Winner in the Heavy Commercial division. The presentation, witnessed by hundreds of construction professionals associated with the industry, took place at the World of Concrete trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada last week.
Available in several brands, this building used the Arxx ICF system, and was submitted by Southwest Wall Systems. In presenting the award, judges cited the complexity of the design, the striking architecture, and the challenges the construction team overcame to set a new standard for the entire ICF industry.
The ICF Builder Awards, are given annually to projects that demonstrate outstanding innovation, quality, and craftsmanship in ICF construction.
Photographs and profiles of all the winning projects can be viewed on the ICF Builder Awards website, www.builderawards.com.
“The variety and scale of projects being built with ICFs is truly astounding,” said Clark Ricks, editor of ICF Builder magazine and organizer of the competition. “It’s time these outstanding projects received industry-wide recognition, and we feel privileged to take a leading role in that.”