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IBS NextGen Home to Demonstrate Storm-Resistant Technologies
With the U.S. currently in the midst of the largest home-rebuilding effort in recent history in its recovery from Hurricane Katrina, this year’s NextGen home at the International Builders’ Show on Feb. 7 to 10 will provide some of the answers on how new homes can better withstand the destructive force of future storms.
According to the American Red Cross, more than 850,000 homes in the Gulf Region were damaged, destroyed or left inaccessible by Katrina.
“The rebuilding is starting, and the focus is naturally not just on replacing these homes, but on learning from this disaster and replacing them with stronger, greener and more efficient and more connected homes,” said Paul Barnett, president of iShow, which produces the NextGen projects.
Erected on the parking lot of the Orlando Convention Center, the 2,700-square-foot “First to the Future” home has been designed to give builders a look at the future of home construction and will showcase about 15 advanced technologies that have been chosen by the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), the home’s sponsor.
“The technologies were chosen to address not only a one-time disaster, but longer-term issues like moisture, mold and durability,” said Carlos Martin, a PATH researcher.
Bigger and better than the 2006 model, this year’s home will demonstrate how seamlessly the latest technologies and features fit within a fully designed and furnished home. A second floor has been added to the home, where visitors will be able to see its hidden assets, like framing and insulation, through extensive models and cutaways.
“By building this house to our 'Fortified® for safer living' standard, everyone who visits will see that we have the know-how and ability to build homes that will stand up better to whatever hazards they face, and that it can be done affordably and without compromising the beauty of the structure,” said Chuck Vance, Fortified program manager at the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS).
In its fifth year at the show, the NextGen Home will once again feature strong partnerships with organizations such as IBHS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
At a “Breakfast of Innovators” on Feb. 8, Darlene Williams, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is scheduled to announce PATH’s first update of its “Top 10 Technologies” since 2004.
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