Modern house built from eco-friendly materials

This stunning 2,700-square-foot home was designed by Ward Blake Architects in Wyoming out of a material called rammed earth. This is a very natural method that relies heavily on using the soil that has been dug up on the site and mixing it with Portland cement and crusher fines (gravel residue byproduct) and just add water to the mix. This process takes the place of using concrete as a foundation for the home. The rammed earth walls act as a heat gain during the day, soaking up the sun and releasing the heat when the air cools off at night. Since Wyoming has seismic activity, the Architects worked with civil engineers from a local university to patent their own version of rammed earth called "EarthWall". This method reinforces the earth with steel rods to give the structure support.

The home consists of 18" thicks walls, large Solarban 60 energy-efficient  glass windows to reduce solar heat gain while still allowing light to be transmitted to the interiors.

The floors consist of fly ash concrete and slate and installed underneath them are radiant heat pipes to warm and cool the water to keep the house moderate all year and eliminating the need for air conditioning.

The home utilizes low flow fixtures, halogen energy efficient light bulbs, and the electricity runs on a wind energy grid system.

The fly ash concrete is different from regular concrete. Fly ash comes from a coal power plant and gets mixed with the concrete to make it more durable. Fly ash is a particle that gets collected and instead of disposing it in the landfills and contributing to greenhouse gases, it conserves natural resources by adding it to the concrete.

The interior and exterior wood materials used within this home are native to the region and have been treated only with water borne sealers.

The house was designed to be long and narrow so the home can take advantage of cross ventilation from the mountain breezes. The roof utilizes a water runoff system that goes back to the land.