Here’s a great story from the Charleston Business Journal
regarding I’On Build’s use green building materials. Note that there is a small correction: Mixson is pursuing LEED for Homes Silver certification, it is not a LEED ND pilot project. But we’re going for the green regardless!

I’On Group uses energy-efficient concrete blocks in home construction
Sept. 3, 2007
By Kristen Poland,
Staff Writer

Energy efficiency plays an important part in today’s construction industry, influencing decisions on everything from choice of building materials and appliances to neighborhood design and location. I’On Build, a new construction division of I’On Group, is building new homes using an uncommon building material that offers both energy-efficient and weather-resistant properties.

Aerated autoclaved concrete blocks are an alternative to concrete masonry units. AAC blocks are energy efficient, have the highest fire-resistance rating in the industry and are rot- and mold-resistant.

Made from sand, lime, cement, water and a rising agent, the blocks do not generate pollutants or hazardous wastes when they are created, making them a green, sustainable material.

The AAC blocks originated in Europe in the 1940s and have been used in European countries regularly since then.

Within the United States, their use has been limited. They appear mainly in projects like custom-built homes rather than in high-production developments. Homes in the United States are generally built with a wooden frame.

Integrating wood with AAC blocks can be tricky, and for that reason some developers and builders shy away from the material. In addition, the blocks are more expensive than traditional building materials.

The benefits of using AAC blocks outweigh the downsides, said Mark Lipsmeyer, chief operating officer for I’On Group. While use of AAC may increase material costs by abut 10%, installing the blocks is less labor-intensive than installing concrete masonry blocks, meaning labor costs will be lower in a home built with AAC blocks. Also, because of the material’s energy-efficient properties, heating and air costs will be lower than in homes built without AAC.

In addition, because AAC blocks come in longer sizes than concrete masonry blocks, fewer of them are needed. The blocks can be cut easily using a ban saw rather than the diamond-tipped blades required to cut concrete masonry blocks. AAC also weighs about 30% less than concrete, and offers insulation properties where concrete does not.

“AAC block is ideal for the Charleston area because of the strength and energy-efficient qualities,” Lipsmeyer said. “Because of this, the block is slowly gaining in popularity and I’On group is excited to be leading the charge in the use of this amazing material in a production environment.”

So far, I’On Group has built four homes in the I’On community of Mount Pleasant using AAC blocks. They’ll be used in the construction of homes within the new I’On Group development, Mixson, located in the Park Circle area of North Charleston.

Use of AAC blocks is expected to factor into the possibility of I’On Group’s receiving a Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design certification for the Mixson neighborhood.

Currently, Mixson is part of a group of fewer than 250 developments nationwide that are attempting to become the first LEED-certified neighborhood development.

The LEED Green Building Rating System is a nationally recognized certification that indicates a building owner or builder has met certain requirements in the design, construction and operation of buildings in regard to human and environmental health and safety.

Filed under: I'On Group, I'On Village, Mixson on September 5th, 2007