Answer
Concrete/foam block house construction is one of the best new house construction methods available and it would be an excellent fit with your needs. It produces super-efficient airtight walls with insulation values up to R-32 and can resist tornado- and hurricane-force winds up to 150 mph.

As compared to a similar-sized stick-built house constructed with 2x4 walls, a concrete/foam block house results in a much lower utility bill, up to a 50% savings. These tremendous monthly savings can easily pay back any higher initial construction costs quickly. Since the construction methods are so simple, you can help with some of the basic setup and reduce the construction labor costs.
These utility bill savings result from more than just the higher wall-insulation levels. By their basic design concept, with interlocking tongue-and-groove blocks, concrete/foam block houses are very airtight.

A secondary benefit of the heavy concrete and the airtightness is the noticeably reduced outdoor noise transmission through the walls. The heavy mass is most effective at blocking the deeper, low-frequency type of rumbling sounds. Since these houses are so efficient, they require smaller, less expensive furnaces, air conditioners, or heat pumps to be installed.

With the heavy concrete structure inside the walls, the energy savings and efficiency can be even greater in the summer. The tons of concrete act as a thermal mass to moderate temperature swings indoors throughout the day and night. This naturally maintains more even indoor room temperatures and minimizes some of the peak electricity demand on hot afternoons.

The simplest, and oldest, type of concrete/foam block construction is the "Legos" method. Basically, the wall is constructed of large hollow, lightweight (5 to 10 lbs.), expanded polystyrene foam blocks, similar to common foam coolers. You just stack up the interlocking foam blocks to make the wall. This is the part of construction that you can help with.

Once the walls are completely stacked, openings for windows and doors are easily cut into the foam and the openings are framed. Next, reinforcing steel rods are slipped inside the hollow block cavities. A concrete truck, with a pump attachment, pumps the concrete into the openings at the top of the wall.

To reduce transportation costs of the large hollow blocks to your building site, many manufacturers are now offering half blocks or special flat insulating foam panels. These blocks or panels are assembled into full blocks at your building site and the house is assembled. Check with your local professional builders' association for ones that are familiar with these methods.

These half blocks are assembled in various manners. Some true half blocks have interlocking teeth on the inside of the mating blocks that slide together. Others use a plastic or metal web to position and attach the two halves or flat foam pieces together.

The exterior of a concrete/foam block house can be finished with any traditional finishing material-brick, siding, stone, stucco, etc. When using the half-block design, the exposed end surfaces of the connecting webs provide a strong attachment point for interior drywall and exterior materials.

Write for Utility Bills Update No. 507 for a list of manufacturers of concrete/foam blocks. Include $3.00, a business-size SASE, and Update number. Mail requests and questions to James Dulley, Kentucky Living, P.O. Box 54987, Cincinnati, OH 45254. Go to www.dulley.com to instantly download.