The 21st Century Townhouses  The houses feature innovative technologies that can be used as substitutes for lumber in home building. None of the houses were built with conventional wood framing. The four structural systems used were: structural insulated panels, a concrete forming system, light-gauge steel framing, and autoclaved aerated concrete masonry units.
Among the advanced energy systems was a first-of-its-kind photovoltaic roof, capable of generating a significant share of the house's electrical needs.
A strong team of public and private sector sponsors made the 21st Century Townhouses possible. The Research Center has published The Twenty-First Century Townhouses, a 51-page illustrated guide that documents the construction and components of the project. Also, check out a bibliography of recent articles. Sponsors of the 21st Century Townhouses Major Sponsors American Iron and Steel Institute
Hebel USA
National Housing Endowment
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association/Portland Cement Association
United States Gypsum Company
Additional Sponsors Armstrong World Industries, Inc.; Benjamin Moore and Company; Hearth Products Association; Icynene; Masonite; Superior Walls; Therma-Stor Products; TrusJoist MacMillan; Water Film Energy, Inc.; Wilsonart; York International Environmental Systems.
A number of companies and trade associations are donating products and services to the project. These are described in the ensuing text, and are listed in the Project Overview at the end of this release. Public Sector Sponsors The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
The Maryland Energy Administration/Sustainable Community Showcase.
The Department of Energy's involvement relates to the White House's Climate Change Action Program for reducing emissions that can cause global climate change. DOE's participation includes support by the DOE Advanced Housing Technology Program of evaluation of materials and systems used to build the houses. Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) will relate the project to MEA's Sustainable Communities Project in Prince George's County, Maryland, with emphasis on bio-retention, distributed energy generation, and renewable energy. The Sustainable Communities Project is part of MEA's Statewide Community Energy Showcase Program.
21st Century Townhouses - Selected Bibliography - "Research Houses Test Options", Professional Builder, September 1995.
- "BETEC Tours '21st Century' Townhomes", Building Sciences, Volume 19, August 1995.
- "Construction in the 21st Century", The Building Official and Code Administrator, July/August 1995.
- "Testing 1, 2, 3, 4 - Building Researchers Giving Lumber Alternatives a Real-world Tryout", Section 4, Chicago Tribune, Saturday, June 24, 1995.
- "Building for the Future", The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday, May 14, 1995.
- "Townhouses Display 21st Century Building Systems", Nation's Building News, Volume 11, Number 5, May 8, 1995.
- "Future Townhouses", Popular Science, 1995.
- "NAHB Research Townhouses Test Construction Advances", The Daily Record, May 1, 1995.
- "Townhouses to Demonstrate Lumber Alternatives, Energy Savings", Professional Builder, March 1994.
- "NAHB seeks products for non-wood houses", Plastics News, February 7, 1994.
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