Leed Certified ICF Home

Yellowstone National Park Service Receives LEED Certification on Recently Completed Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) Homes

Nestled in Yellowstone National Park, Xanterra Parks & Resorts completed two single-family residential homes for use by park employees. Culminating in LEED® Certification in December, these homes are the model that will be the benchmark for other green, energy-efficient construction developments within Yellowstone and other national parks.  This is significant because this is the first building project in the State of Montana, for the National Parks Service and for Quad-Lock Building Systems Ltd. to receive LEED certification.

From the onset, these homes were designed to reflect the commitment that both Xanterra and Yellowstone National Park Service have to sustainable projects and practices. In order to ensure that these homes could be considered for LEED certification, Xanterra Parks & Resorts felt impelled to build with insulating concrete forms (ICF). Because they provide the highest R-Value in the industry, Xanterra chose Quad-Lock as the ICF. Over 20% of the LEED certification points used in the LEED application process was a direct result of using Quad-Lock materials. The use of Quad-Lock helped point allocation under rating criteria for Materials & Resources and Energy & Atmosphere.

Xanterra Parks & Resorts combined Quad-Lock Plus panels (4.25-inch) and Regular Quad-Lock panels (2.25-inch) to construct the exterior 6-inch thick concrete walls. This configuration provided an R-value of 32. If used on both the interior and exterior of the wall, Plus panels can provide an R-Value of R-40. Jim Hanna, Director of Environmental Affairs for Xanterra Parks & Resorts comments “Without the energy-saving qualities of Quad-Lock walls, there’s absolutely no way we could have submitted these homes for LEED certification.”

One of the biggest benefits to building with ICF is the energy efficiency. Jim further states, “By choosing Quad-Lock ICF walls in the construction of our new housing, Xanterra was able to triple our homes’ R-values over standard construction materials, an important accomplishment in the heat-sapping winters in Yellowstone. The Quad-Lock ICF walls are excellent heat sinks that augment the effectiveness of the houses’ passive solar design, maintaining a comfortable living environment year-round and minimizing the number of days we have to heat the buildings.”

Quad-Lock Building Systems, Ltd. operates on three fundamental philosophies — a commitment to excellence, a commitment to training and a commitment to marketing. The Company demonstrates its continued commitment to providing the industry with a building system that is innovative in designs, support and customer satisfaction. Only with the Quad-Lock system and its unique Quad-Lock Plus panel, can you achieve the highest TRUE R-value in the Industry — R-40.

Visit www.quadlock.com or call 888-711-5625 to learn more about Quad-Lock, this project, or LEED Certification. [ return to top ]