HUD Phoenix Energy Workshop September 16-17, 2008

1. “A Subsidiary of
The Navajo Housing Authority Ventures Group”
• Made from Recycled Material
• Environmentally Sensitive
• Promoting Economic Sustainability for Navajo People/Business

2. FlexCrete Product List
Item Nominal Dimensions
Length Height Thickness
Masonry Units - 24 - inches 8-inches 8,10,12-inches
Load bearing
Masonry Units - 24 - inches 8-inches 2,4,6-inches
Non-Load bearing
U-Block 24 - inches 8-inches 6,8,10,12-inches
Lintels 6.5-feet, Maximum 8,10,12-inches 4,6,8,10,12-inches
Wall Panel (Year 2007) 20 feet, Maximum 24-inches 2,4,6,8,10,12-inches
*All dimensions shall have a tolerance of +/- 1/32-inch
**These are nominal dimensions and actual dimensions are 1/8quot; less than the values shown

3. Product Technology
FlexCrete is based on:
Fly Ash as a Natural Pozzolin
Aerated Concrete Approach
Fiber Reinforced Composition
Chemical Activated Aerated Concrete

4. The FlexCrete Advantage
Ease of Use:
•Lightweight – 1/5 weight of concrete
•Easily shaped – sawed, drilled and shaped like wood w/ standard tools
•Mortar less – Blocks are laid up with thin-set, not mortar.
Strength & Durability: (360psi equivalent to concrete)
•No organic material
•Not susceptible to termites or other pests
•Non-allergenic
•Highly resistant to mod and fungi
Fire Resistant:
•Meets ASTM E119 for four-hour rating
Energy Efficient:
8” wall has an equivalent R-Value of 27 with no additional insulation
Massive wall creates thermal lag for passive heating and cooling
Reduces energy use by 40 to 50 percent over stick-frame construction
Environmentally Sensitive – Use of Recycled Content:
•Navajo FlexCrete is 60 percent fly-ash, recycled waste product from coal-burning electrical plants
Locally Produced: (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah & Nevada)
•Navajo FlexCrete is produced in Page Arizona on the Navajo Reservation by the Navajo Nation.

5. The FlexCrete Advantage
Low Cost of Production
Direct Connection with Tribal Agencies
Fiber Reinforced Composition
More Durable than other
AAC Products
Transportation and Handling
Acoustic Efficiency

6. FlexCrete Operations
Currently we have one Production Plant located in
Page, Arizona.
Plans to open a second
plant in Clark County, Nevada.
Quality Assurance /
Procedures in place.
Our Mission
Provide Quality Products
Excel in Customer Service

7. Navajo FlexCrete Processing
CURING
BATCHING
DEMOLD
CONSTRUCTION = HOME
SAWING

8. Green Building Industry
Market Study and Trends
A study published by McGraw-Hill Construction and the National
Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is reporting that interest
in the Green Building Materials Industry grew by 20% in 2006
and will see another 30% in 2007. The report is also projecting
the industry will grow to be a $38 Billion Dollar industry by the
year 2010.
Many municipalities across the nation are requiring “Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design” (LEED) certification to
make their communities more sustainable. Cities like Scottsdale,
Arizona and Santa Fe, New Mexico are passing codes and
incentives to “Build Green”.
The Energy Conscience Consumers

9. Sustainable Design
Wikipedia definition http://wikipedia.org/
Sustainable design (also referred to as quot;green designquot;, quot;eco-designquot;, or
quot;design for environmentquot;) is the art of designing physical objects and the built
environment to comply with the principles of economic, social, and ecological
sustainability. It ranges from the microcosm of designing small objects for
everyday use, through to the macrocosm of designing buildings, cities, and the
earth's physical surface. It is a growing trend within the fields of architecture,
landscape architecture, engineering, graphic design, industrial design, interior
design and fashion design.
The essential aim of sustainable design is to produce places, products and
services in a way that reduces use of non-renewable resources, minimizes
environmental impact, and relates people with the natural environment.
Sustainable design is often viewed as a necessary tool for achieving
sustainability.
Green design is considered a means of reducing or eliminating environmental
impacts while maintaining quality of life by using careful assessment and clever
design to substitute less harmful products and processes for conventional ones.
Sustainable Design….Sustainable Development….Design with Nature
Environmentally Sensitive Design….Holistic Resource Management
….Green Architecture….what ever it is you term it, it is the same concept.

10. Traditional Sustainable Model

11. Traditional Pillars of Sustainable Design
Triple Bottom-Line
Economics
Are the Local economies built in.
Local opportunity, access, longevity.
How can Critical Mass be achieved. (people)
Environment
Preservation of natural environment
Limited impact resources
Connectivity with open space/outdoors.
Social
Social network for sense of community.
Limited strain on social programs and resources.
Inclusive of all users.

12. Native American Cultural
Philosophy
The Navajo Culture promotes a philosophy
“Hozhoogo Nashaa Dooleel”. The meaning
translates to “May I walk in beauty, harmony and
balance with my surroundings”, and is a
philosophy aligned with the core principles of
Sustainable Design.
The cultural philosophies of many Native Peoples
and the core principles of Sustainability
reemphasize a foundation that has been there all
along. This just needs to be underscored by our
planning and development.

13. Navajo Sustainability

14. Native Peoples View of Sustainable Design
Quadruple Bottom-Line
Economics
Are the Local economies built in.
Local opportunity, access, longevity.
How can Critical Mass be achieved. (people)
Environment
Preservation of natural environment
Limited impact resources
Connectivity with open space/outdoors.
Social
Social network for sense of community.
Limited strain on social programs and resources.
Inclusive of all users.
CULTURAL

16. What Navajo FlexCrete means to
the Navajo Housing Authority
To address the growing housing need on the Navajo Nation. The NHA plans
to build 500 houses per year.
In turn, Navajo FlexCrete would guarantee a supply of building materials
made by Navajos for Navajos, thus building both social and cultural capital,
while simultaneously contributing towards the development of energy-
efficient and environmentally sensitive housing.
Navajo FlexCrete represented an opportunity to develop competitive skills
in entrepreneurship, manufacturing, construction and sustainability, thus
building individual, organizational, information and knowledge capital.
The product represented an opportunity to use a waste product that would
normally be back-filled into surface coalmines. Use of the material would
reduce environmental impacts on timber, water and transportation
associated with other building materials, thus preserving and restoring
natural capital.
Navajo FlexCrete represented a job creation opportunity.
And, Navajo FlexCrete represented a potential earnings stream.

17. TRIBAL HOUSING MARKET
(1500 - 2500 SF HOMES):
The Navajo Housing Authority is transitioning to building
primarily with Navajo FlexCrete products.

18. CUSTOM HOME / GREEN CONSUMER
(2500 - 6000 SF HOMES):
Santa Fe & Albuquerque, NM
Scottsdale, AZ
Arizona, New Mexico, Utah,
Colorado and Nevada Markets

19. GREEN CONSUMER
Average home = 21
tons of fly ash
Otherwise disposed of
in landfill.
REDUCED impact on
Timber Reserves
Water
Fuel

20. COMMERCIAL MARKET
INNOVATIONS
Commercial Block
Thin Un-reinforced Panels
Reinforced Panels
Premium Panels - 2011

21. Energy Consumption per Wall Type
300
250
200
kW h /m 2
150
100
50
0
6quot; Frame SIP 6quot; SIP 8quot; FlexCrete 8quot; Adobe 8quot; Adobe 12quot; Adobe 16quot;
Heating Cooling Lighting Other Total
ENERGY CONSUMPTION PER WALL TYPE

22. GREEN INNOVATIONS &
PARTNERSHIPS
Project published in “Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing”

23. GREEN INNOVATIONS &
PARTNERSHIPS

24. Sips Structures
Southwest Traditional
Log Homes
Alter Air
ASU Photovoltaic Laboratory
Mirrorseal
U of A Environmental
Research Laboratory
Navajo FlexCrete

25. Energy Modeling Analysis

26. 2007 Arizona Governor’s Awards
Innovation Award – Navajo FlexCrete Building
Systems
Housing Hero Award - ASU Stardust Center for
Gaudalupe House

27. 2007 Valley Forward
Environmental Excellence
Crescordia Winner for Single Family Residence

28. NHA Production Homes

59. Green Building Tips
Being Green
First, a little self-assessment is in order. Ask yourself, how green am I?
There are many shades of green, each with their own motivations and
levels of commitment. Are you interested in:
Building homes that make the best use of energy resources?
Durability?
Producing less material waste?
The broader environmentally based philosophies that green building
relates to?
Take a look at the technologies that you regularly feature in your
building projects. Do any of them align with any of the principles of
green building described above? If so, consider highlighting the green
aspects of your current practices in your marketing and advertising
efforts. If customers appreciate these benefits, then you can start using
additional products that provide similar benefits.
A Public-Private Partnership for Advancing Housing Technology
http://www.pathnet.org

60. Green Building Trends
Low or No-VOC Paints: While many paints contain high-levels of volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) that diminish air quality and may be detrimental to the health of those
who breath them, alternatives are now available that release little or no VOC pollutants.
These latex-based paints are durable, cost the same as paints that contain VOCs, are high
quality, and do not contaminate a home's air supply.
Cement substitutes: According to Environmental Building News, the annual US production
of cement creates as much greenhouse gases as the operation of 22 million compact cars.
But by-products of other energy processes exist that can be efficiently used to create
environmentally friendly alternatives to cement. Fly ash, slag, silica fume, and rice hull ash
are gaining popularity among builders due to their strength, durability and low-toxicity.
Plumbing Manifolds: Manifold plumbing systems are control centers for hot and cold water
that feed flexible supply lines to individual plumbing fixtures. Easy to install, they also reduce
heat loss and provide steady water pressure and faster hot water delivery.
Bamboo Flooring: A plentiful natural resource, bamboo is gaining popularity among many
builders due to its durability and attractiveness. Because bamboo grows very quickly, it is a
more easily renewable resource than hardwood. Although all bamboo flooring used in the
US is imported from the Pacific Rim, it can be readily delivered to US job sites within a few
days.
Rainwater harvesting: Water is a valuable commodity. Collecting and reusing rainwater for
landscape irrigation saves money and reduces the demand on the water supply
A Public-Private Partnership for Advancing Housing Technology
http://www.pathnet.org

61. What Next?
Production Design for Housing Authorities
Sustainable Community Design
Cluster Development
Higher Density
Culturally Appropriate / Paradigm Shift away from
scattered sites. (too costly)
Master Planned Communities – Larger Scale
Economics
Environment
Social
Culture
LEED Certified Projects and Development
Greater Energy Efficiency
Greater Sustainability