Concrete Homes are Designed to be Built Quickly, Resistant to Fire, Wind, and Water Damage, and This Company Is Building Thousands of Them
By John Alexander
Outlet: Green Building Elements
Published on July 4, 2024
The US housing market faces significant challenges with slow construction times, high costs, and vulnerability to natural disasters. I recently watched a video by Shelby Church where she stepped into the world of Onx Homes in Florida, where she addressed these issues by building durable, affordable concrete homes in a factory setting. This innovative approach aims to provide better housing solutions in disaster-prone areas. Let’s unpack what Shelby discovered.
Revolutionary Factory-Built Homes
Onx Homes has developed a process to build 2,000 sq ft concrete homes in just a month. This efficiency is achieved through a factory production line, significantly reducing construction times compared to traditional stick-built homes.
The Strength of Concrete
Concrete homes offer superior durability compared to stick-built homes. They are resistant to fires, hurricanes, and floods, making them an ideal solution for disaster-prone areas like Florida, where insurance costs are soaring.
Inside the Factory
The factory where Onx Homes are built is a blend of manual labor and automation. Workers and machines collaborate to construct various parts of the house, ensuring precision and efficiency in every step of the process.
Bathroom Pods: A Unique Innovation
One of the standout features of Onx Homes is their pre-made bathroom pods. These pods are fully assembled in the factory, complete with plumbing and electrical systems, and then transported to the construction site, ready for installation.
Efficient and Sustainable Materials
Onx Homes uses foam insulation and recycled steel in their construction. The recycled steel enhances wind resistance and fire safety, while foam insulation contributes to energy efficiency, reducing heating and cooling costs.
Concrete Mixing and Curing
Concrete walls are created using molds in an automated process. Once poured, the concrete cures for about 8 hours before being moved by robots, streamlining the entire building process.
The Final Assembly
After curing, the concrete walls are transported to the construction site, where they are assembled. This method ensures that each home is built quickly and to exact specifications, reducing construction errors and delays.
The Finished Product
Onx Homes’ finished houses look and feel like traditional homes. With drywall interiors and modern finishes, these homes provide the comfort and aesthetics of a conventional house while offering the added benefits of durability and energy efficiency.
The Alba Series
The Alba Series by Onx Homes starts at $500,000 for a five-bedroom, three-bathroom home. These homes feature open-concept designs, modern kitchens, and spacious bedrooms, offering high value at an affordable price.
Expanding Production
In 2024 alone, Onx Homes plans to build over 700 homes. Their factory-based approach allows them to scale production rapidly, helping to address the housing shortage in various regions.
Townhouses for Urban Living
Onx Homes also offers townhouses starting at $500,000 including the land. These homes make efficient use of space and provide affordable housing options in urban areas, contributing to increased housing supply.
Addressing Prefab Limitations
Unlike many prefab home companies, Onx Homes functions as a traditional home builder. They handle the entire construction process, from land acquisition to building, ensuring that homes are built and sold efficiently.
A Greener Concrete Solution
Concrete production is a major CO2 emitter, but Onx Homes is partnering with Biomason to create more sustainable concrete. This innovative approach mimics natural processes, reducing the environmental impact of concrete construction.
The Future of Home Building
Onx Homes is poised to revolutionize the housing industry with their green concrete solutions. As technology advances, concrete homes will become even more energy-efficient, further reducing the carbon footprint of home construction.
Expansion Plans
Onx Homes is expanding beyond Florida, with new plants planned for Texas, California, Nevada, and Arizona. Their innovative approach to home building is set to make a significant impact on the housing market across the US.
A Brighter Future for Housing
Onx Homes is making great strides in solving the housing crisis with their durable, affordable, and sustainable concrete homes. Could factory-built concrete homes be the solution to your housing needs? How might this innovative approach impact the future of home construction?
See the full video on the Shelby’s YouTube channel for more details here.
JOHN ALEXANDER
Chief Building Architect at Green Building Elements, joined us after a successful career and business owner at Alexander Architecture, which served the New York City Metropolitan area. Prior to running his own firm, John was an architect working for Gensler projects in Boston which is the largest architecture firm in the United States. John holds both a bachelors and masters degree in architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design.