This 3,600 sf house, designed in collaboration with the owner, a general contractor, is constructed of Rastra wall panels, a system of recycled Styrofoam blocks clad with plaster. Rastra provides a highly insulated and fire-resistant wall system. Combined with the thermal mass of the concrete floors, and the well insulated roof, the house remains cool without air-conditioning even during the hottest summer days.

"When stuccoed on the outside and plastered on the inside, [the Rastra blocks] create four-hour fire walls that will withstand a blaze up to 2,000 degrees F."
-Custom Home, June/Aug 2002
(Photos by Muffy Kibbey)