What is an Enviro Home? It is an energy efficient R-2000 house that in addition meets a series of environmental requirements that relate both to the process of construction as to the final quality of the house.
One example of environmentally friendly construction practices is the re-use of wood. The plywood sheets that made the forms for pouring the concrete floors, was recycled for various other tasks around the site and finally cleaned up and used as the roofing sheathing. Scraps of wood were piled near the cutting area for re-use rather than simply scrapped.
This house was completely made of concrete using ICF or Insulated Concrete Forms for the walls and poured in place concrete floors. The ICF forms are made out of insulating foam material with the concrete poured in the centre. The insulation is left in place. The drywall can be directly attached to the inside and siding to the outside thanks to plastic screw strips molded into the forms. The heating was provided by hot water tubes cast into the concrete floors.
Enviro Home is a project of the Canadian Home Builder's Association and Natural Resources Canada. More information on ICF construction can be obtained from the Cement Association of Canada in Ottawa.