Lale House in Istanbul, Turkey 

In order to promote alternative building methods abroad, FAS partnered with a Turkish construction firm, IHLAS Holding of Istanbul, and IHSN Inc. USA, to build a villa in the outskirts of Istanbul using cementitious SIPs. Turkey has a very vibrant and influential construction industry in the region, which enables this project to reach a wider audience in a region that is prone to various natural disasters.

Through this project, FAS will monitor the cost and energy performance of a cementitious SIP home built in a different climate in a region susceptible to powerful earthquakes. Even though Turkish building codes are vigorous and designed to withstand the seismic activity, quality control of construction has been difficult to monitor. FAS is hoping to facilitate better quality control by introducing cementitious SIPs as an alternative method that requires little inspection on-site. In the spring of 2007, Henry Kelly, Joseph Hagerman and John Millhone had the opportunity to visit the construction site, where the shell of the demonstration house was almost complete. While problems arose stemming from several broken panels, Mr. Hagerman was able to provide his valuable expertise, making important suggestions to modify places where SIPs’ structural advantages could be optimized.

Despite problems and delays, Turks have incorporated Mr. Hagerman’s design suggestions, and the projects construction is nearing completion.