The New American Home (TNAH), one of two official shows of the NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS), continues to push the boundaries of sustainable residential design. As the project moves into Phase 3, the focus sharpens on energy efficiency and airtight construction, with ambitious performance targets and meticulous coordination among the project team.
Targeting a Groundbreaking HERS Index
Energy efficiency remains at the forefront of The New American Home’s design philosophy. The project’s goal is to achieve a negative 50 or better on the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index — a scale where a typical new home rates around 100 and a net-zero home rates at 0.
Two Trails, a leader in sustainable building consulting, is guiding the team through the certification process. “We’ll work throughout the entire rest of the build process with the Alair team, consulting on all of the products going in to make sure we’re staying on track,” Drew Smith, Two Trails Inc COO, shared.
Currently, without solar panels installed, the home is performing at approximately 60 – 62 on the HERS Index. When including the solar array, the projected performance on paper is an impressive negative 82, meaning the home will produce significantly more energy than it consumes.
Creating the Home’s Energy Envelope
Achieving this level of performance requires precision at every stage of the build. The home’s “envelope”— the barrier that separates the conditioned interior from the exterior environment — is a complex system made up of multiple high performance components working in harmony.
- Spray Foam and FI-FOIL® Insulation: These materials form the home’s primary insulation barriers, keeping interior temperatures stable and reducing energy loss.
- High-Performance Windows: The windows themselves carry an R-value, preventing unwanted heat transfer and maintaining comfort while minimizing the strain on HVAC systems.
- AeroBarrier Technology: This cutting-edge sealing process fills even the smallest, often invisible, gaps in the home’s structure. By creating a continuous air barrier, AeroBarrier ensures the home reaches exceptional levels of airtightness.
The team’s goal is to achieve one air change per hour or less at 50 Pascals (ACH50) — a benchmark that represents exceptional efficiency. “We’re really striving to have what I like to call an above-ground submarine when we’re done,” Drew Smith explained, highlighting the meticulous approach to creating an airtight and energy-efficient structure.
Moving Into Interior Finishes
With the envelope sealed and insulation systems in place, Phase 3 transitions into the next major milestone: Installing drywall and beginning interior finishes.
Despite the excitement of this stage, the team faces a demanding schedule leading up to the home’s debut at the Builders’ Show. Multiple subcontractors are working simultaneously inside the home, requiring extraordinary coordination.
“It’s been an insanely heavy lift,” Daniel Kennerly, Alair Orlando Partner, shared. “We’ve had two full-time project managers, my business partner and I fully managing the project and multiple other employees on-site working with us to coordinate everything so that this house can be done in time for the International Builders’ Show.”
On Track for a Sustainable Showcase
As TNAH 2026 advances toward completion, the dedication to innovation, precision and collaboration remains clear. Each phase builds upon the last, bringing the vision of a high performance, net-positive energy home closer to reality and ready to inspire the residential construction industry during tours of the home at IBS 2026.
Register to attend the 2026 NAHB International Builders’ Show and for the opportunity to tour The New American Home in Orlando, Feb 17 – 19.