in Hardie Board lap siding, the Barters aren’t worried. The basement also houses a cold storage room designed to double as a storm shelter. It remains a consistent 59 degrees yearround and gives them peace of mind. After completing the house, Mike and Phyllis moved on to designing and building an ICF greenhouse with a homegrown approach to geothermal heating and cooling. The greenhouse, along with the chickens they already keep in a traditional coop, are all part of the Barters’ dream of
self-sufficiency and long-term sustainability. More than a decade after first discovering ICF, Mike and Phyllis have finally created a comfortable, durable, and safe home. Well-insulated walls and renewable energy from their solar panel systems give them the independence and peace of mind they’ve always dreamed of for their retirement years. Now that the house is complete, the Barters are enjoying the mesmerizing mountain views and a reduced cost of living thanks to their Net-Zero Energy home. But it’s a safe bet that future years will find them training others to build ICF homes, a dream that has become their passion. Kelly Stokes is a freelance writer based in Austin,
Texas. She specializes in writing about architecture, construction and interior design. Kelly is passionate about green building, recycling, and sustainability. Contact: writing@kellystokes.com
An area of the basement doubles as a safe room.
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September 2013 • Concrete Homes
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