Concrete Construction, November 2004

The New Prairie is the name we gave out prototype concrete home built in Racine, Wis.  It aims to make quality architectural design more affordable than most architect-designed homes today.  We believe in integrating quality design with concrete construction technology, providing a better way of building that satisfies the homeowner's aesthetic as well as technical and functional needs... read complete article

Successful Builder of Wisconsin Magazine, July/August 2004
Phoenix Systems - the building system of the 21st century.
"Most builders - and many savvy homebuyers - have heard of Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) technology. ICF construction is a method of creating exterior walls with expanded polystyrene forms or blocks, stacked together and filled on site with concrete. These builders and homebuyers know that ICF homes are incredibly energy efficient, strong, quiet and resistant to fire, bugs and mold. And they often conclude that this method is associated mainly with high-end, high-priced homes. Wrong…at least from now on!"...read complete article

Building Concrete Homes July/August 2004
Elk River Financial Analyst Runs the Numbers - ICF WINS!.
"Henry Hoefer makes it his business to know what things really cost - he's a financial analyst by trade. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that, when the time came to build a new home for he and his family in Elk River, MN, Hoefer chose above-grade concrete walls and insulating concrete forming (ICF) technology as the building system."...read complete article

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel May 2004
Racine Architect incorporates latest technology into trademark horizontal style.
"Architect Ken Dahlin has been designing award winning homes for years. Some have been featured in magazines where readers can order plans and make his dreams their reality. But now, Dahlin will finally be living in one of his own designs"...read complete article

Construction Guide January 2004
Big Deal in Sin City - Part 1. Las Vegas learns from local builders how to use ICF without gambling on the outcome.
"When it comes to making homes that are strong, safe, energy efficient, rot and mold resistant, soundproof and comfortable, the boys from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan can teach the rest a thing or two. And, in Las Vegas in April of this year that's just what happened when Phoenix Systems & Components followed it's builder certification training course with a practical demonstration of why their Engineered Wall System is the best thing since Bratwurst."...read complete article

Construction Guide February 2004
Big Deal in Sin City - Part 2.
"Day one of the scheduled three-day building process began very early - even for people accustomed to early starts in the busy building season. The entire team gathered on the 4300 square foot slab with coffee and the ubiquitous donuts, surrounded by a vast array of materials and tools that would be needed to complete the job. This is quite an impressive sight for anyone who hasn't seen everything that goes into the raising of the walls of a house, all stacked in one place."...read complete article

Construction Guide later in February 2004
Big Deal in Sin City - Part 3.
Since the end of that first day, when the walls began to take shape and the architect's plans started to become a building, everyone became used to referring to it as 'Riley'"...read complete article

Richmond Times Dispatch - September 2003
Concrete system made cost-effective
"The house that will be built at 906 Norton St. in the Carver neighborhood, behind the Stuart C. Siegel Center, will not look unusual when it is done. But behind the facade, it will be far from ordinary. The house will be built using insulated concrete forms, a material that is usually associated with high-end, high-priced homes. ICFs are expanded polystyrene forms or blocks, stacked together and then filled with concrete on site to create the exterior walls. The technology is not new, but this product, the Engineered Wall System from Phoenix Systems & Components Inc., is breaking the mold by reducing the cost so that ICF technology can be available to a larger percentage of the housing market."...read complete article