Amazing ICF House Ideas – Real-Life Insulated Concrete Formwork Self Builds

Insulated concrete formwork (ICF) is an innovative structural system that can be used to create impactful architectural features and ultra-efficient homes. See what’s possible with Sander Tel’s roundup of eye-catching ICF house ideas

by Sander Tel

12th March 2025

Considering insulated concrete formwork for your self build and looking for real ICF house ideas? This unique structural system can be used to create spectacular homes, thanks to its innate strength and design flexibility. For example, most ICF houses make use of wow-factor glazed features, curved walls or vaulted roof structures – as demonstrated in this collection of inspiring projects.

So, what is ICF? Insulated concrete formwork uses lightweight hollow blocks or panels, typically made of rigid foam insulation, which are stacked to form your home’s walls, floors and other structures. Once the ICF superstructure is assembled, steel reinforcement is added where necessary, and the forms are then filled with concrete – creating a super sturdy, airtight and well-insulated structural envelope.

Here, I’m taking a look at a selection of inspiring real-life ICF house ideas, showcasing the structural system’s design potential.

Striking ICF House on the Devon Coast

Built by Lilburn & Elliott construction and created using a Nudura ICF superstructure, this four-bedroom home is situated in the coastal town of Salcombe, Devon. The expansive openings were made possible with the use of a steel framed structure that was bolted to the ICF walls.

The ground floor is made up of a solid concrete raft foundation, while the first and second floors are a block and beam construction. The shell of the building went up in just eight weeks.

The house’s exterior boasts a charming blend of stone and Siberian larch timber cladding, with wide spans of glazing from Origin, to capture the coastal views.

Traditional-Style ICF House in the Wiltshire Countryside

This charming family home, nestled into the Wiltshire countryside, has been constructed using BecoWallform’s 375 ICF system, which provides a wall U-value of 0.14 W/m²K.

Photo: Jack Lodge Photography

The sympathetic design remains in keeping with the local architecture – featuring a stone-clad exterior with traditional sash windows.

Photo: Jack Lodge Photography

The highly-efficient structure ensures a high-performance home throughout all seasons, with little additional input required from the house’s air source heat pump.

What kind of architectural features can ICF create?

Curved walls ICF can be used to build unique and showstopping design details such as curved walls. The foam blocks can be easily cut and shaped to create rounded walls before the concrete is poured.
Large expanses of glazing such as big picture windows and sets of glass doors are no problem in an ICF home. The system can support openings of up to around 6.3m as standard. The more steel and concrete used, the larger the apertures can be. Corner windows and cantilevered openings for bifold doors or sliding doors are also possible.
Vaulted ceilings Non-standard roof structures are a popular design feature for contemporary homes, and ICF lends itself very well to this.
Cantilevers This clever design feature, which consists of a structural element that extends out beyond the floor below, can be more straightforward to realise with insulated concrete formwork thanks to its inherent strength.
Subterranean structures ICF is a great option when it comes to constructing basements and retaining walls, where the structure needs to be highly watertight to prevent damp and water ingress. It’s straightforward to waterproof, and you can continue above-ground in ICF or another build system.

find out more

Contextual Home Built with Insulated Concrete Formwork

Homeowners Derrick and Gail found the perfect self build opportunity at the top of their garden – a sloping plot that offered spectacular views of the Cotswolds.

Photo: Sandalcroft Construction

The site leant itself well to ICF construction, as the sturdy combination of foam blocks and concrete embrace a wide range of excellent design possibilities. Supplied by Sandalcroft Construction and crowned Best ICF Home at the 2023 Build It Awards, this scheme embraces the site perfectly.

Photo: Sandalcroft Construction

The home features a sympathetic, low-profile stone-clad design to minimise its impact on the landscape, plus large picture windows to capture the vistas.

Bauhaus-Inspired Knock Down & Rebuild ICF Home

When Jim and Lesley Driver came across a 1930s bungalow in Hampshire, they were keen to renovate and extend, undertaking a deep energy retrofit to bring the home up to modern standards.

Photo: Simon Maxwell

However, upon closer inspection it became apparent that the house’s structure was too weak to support this. Instead, the couple knocked the bungalow down and rebuilt a striking, Bauhaus-inspired home in its place.

Photo: Simon Maxwell

The pair worked with LA Hally Architect to create the scheme, which includes a garage, ensuite bedrooms, utility and drying room on the ground floor and an open-plan living area upstairs with access to a sea-facing balcony.

Photo: Simon Maxwell

After exploring several eco build systems, the Drivers opted for an insulated concrete formwork system from ICF Homes as it would ensure speedy construction on the restricted site. The result is a spectacular and energy-efficient family home with light-filled living areas.

CLOSER LOOK Build It Award-Winning ICF House

This striking copper, stone and timber-clad self build replaces a traditional cottage that had been unsympathetically extended and altered in the late ’90s, removing much of the original fabric and charm.

Constructed using ICF and designed by ARCO2 Architecture, the Build It Award-winning dwelling is a high-performance, low-carbon home that thoughtfully enhances its historical context. The new build features a 10kW Vaillant air source heat pump, an array of 4kW solar panels, paired with battery storage, and a mechanical ventilation system.

“Sustainability was a key focus when designing the home, and it’s amazing that the completed structure now surpasses Passivhaus U-value standards and achieves a minimal operational carbon footprint of just 15 kWh/m²/year,” says Ian Armstrong, director at ARCO2 Architecture.

Photos: Matthew Heritage

find out more about our 2024 Build It Award winners

ICF Home with Wow-Factor Glazing

Ray and Ruth Davis were looking to downsize, so turned to the small studio and garage on their sloping site with the intention of knocking it down and building a new home in its place.

Photo: David Barbour

They approached Cameron Webster Architects, who helped them develop a house design that would satisfying strict planning and plot requirements. The front of the build maintains the same height as the previous road-facing garage, while the striking glazed rear extends down into the sloping site.

Photo: David Barbour

The team engaged ICF builders Econekt for the superstructure. There is 150mm insulation on the outside; 200mm of cavity concrete and reinforcement bars; and 50mm of insulation on the inside of the house. Constructing the property with ICF also meant they could build into the ground without having to put in temporary shuttering.

ICF structural considerations

Making alterations This can be fairly complicated once the concrete core has been poured. Most people building their house’s superstructure with ICF opt for stud walls internally, giving them more scope to change their layout later on. You can futureproof the ICF structure by having lintels cast in for any potential windows and doors, so that if you do ever extend, you won’t lose any structural integrity.
Drilling into concrete is tricky Instead of this, fixing strips are provided within the blocks. These are generally placed at 200mm spacings so you can hang heavy fixtures such as kitchen cupboards, towel rails or radiators directly on the strips and securely fasten them into place.
ICF is extremely strong However, that doesn’t mean it can deliver those striking, standout architectural features on its own. Designs such as cantilevers and fully-glazed corners may well still need some extra support in the form of RSJs, glulam beams, steel posts etc.

Spectacular Eco Home with an ICF Superstructure

Situated on a picturesque site overlooking the sea, this spectacular home, designed by ARCO2 Architecture, fits seamlessly into its surroundings.

Photo: R-Wall

Constructed using an ICF superstructure from R-Wall, the dwelling offers panoramic sea views, stretching from Newquay to Cape Cornwall’s western tip.

Photo: R-Wall

The high-performance home features triple glazing and an MVHR system. An expansive first-floor balcony provides solar shading for the glazed living area below.

FAQs

Lisa Trewin

Lisa Trewin from R-Wall answers your FAQs surrounding ICF construction and the kinds of benefits it can offer your self build

What kind of thermal performance does ICF offer?

One of the biggest advantages of ICF construction is its exceptional thermal performance, achieving U-Values as low as 0.09W/m²K. The continuous insulation layers and integral thermal mass of the concrete helps to regulate internal temperatures, providing more comfortable living environments. The lack of cavity prevents the negative effects of thermal looping, too – this is a process that reduces the insulation’s thermal performance. A recent study conducted by CLEB Laboratories has proven ICF can provide up to a 60% annual energy saving compared to a timber frame built to the same permitted code.

Can ICF be used to create a highly airtight home?

The double, continuous layer of insulation and the monolithic concrete core creates naturally airtight structures, preventing cold air influx and internal heat loss, therefore maximising the building’s thermal performance. This ensures the efficiency of heating, cooling and ventilation systems, helping to create healthier living environments for building occupants.

Does insulated concrete formwork have good weather-resistant properties?

One of the standout features of ICF buildings is their strength and ability to withstand extreme weather conditions, including winds of up to 250 mph. ICF’s resistance to water means build programmes can continue into the winter months without delay, giving the ability to assemble and cast in almost any weather condition. Post construction issues, such as water ingress, pose no threat to the ICF superstructure, ensuring future longevity of the building.

Is ICF a soundproof building system?

Noise pollution is an issue that affects everyone and achieving good sound attenuation is essential to creating quieter living environments, improved privacy, and enhanced overall wellbeing. Noise is absorbed into the insulation and reflected by the concrete, resulting in outstanding sound attenuation levels often exceeding STC ratings of 50 + decibels. When compared to a standard timber frame, this equates to approximately a third less sound penetrating the walls.

How long does it take to build an ICF home?

ICF is an exceptionally quick build system, for example laying one set of ICF blocks can equate to laying 14 concrete blocks in a matter of minutes. Once the formwork is constructed and poured, this is the finished wall system, and the follow-on trades also continue at a faster rate. Due to ICF’s flexible, lightweight nature, movement around site is quicker and easier and its water-resistant properties means trades can continue working on the build regardless of the weather, minimising construction delays and helping ensure project deadlines are met.