GREENSBURG, Kansas – It’s the first of its kind in the United States and it’s being built in Greensburg, Kansas. It’s a house made of wood blocks called H.I.B or highly insulated building.
The technique was created by a German lumber mill owner using construction that is very energy efficient and extremely strong.
“I’ve been building all my life but I’ve never seen a house or structure built like this,” said Orval Howell, project contractor.
Workers in Greensburg spent last week putting the wooden blocks together like a puzzle with no nails or glue.
They are the building blocks of a home that will be extremely eco-friendly with walls that are filled with rock.
“There will be two tons of gravel on the inside of the interior walls and that’s for sound and to absorb the heat,” said Howell.
Gravel not only makes the walls incredibly insulated, but strikingly strong as well.
“It’s highly durable,” said project manager Joah Bussert. “The German company has had it tested to withstand winds over 180 mph and an 8.0 earthquake, so it’s kind of a good fit for disaster prone areas.”
The cost of construction is about twice as expensive as a typical house since all the materials are shipped from Germany. Builders say the low energy costs eventually make up for the high construction cost.
“$700 or $800 a year for heating costs and that’s heating, cooling and everything,” said Howell.
It’s an environmentally friendly home built to withstand anything Mother Nature can throw its way.
“I constructed a wooden stone. It’s the same as when I build with stone, but it’s better,” said Dieter Junker, creator of H.I.B.
Organizers hope to use the house for educational purposes and possibly as a bed and breakfast.
