For Gary Fetters, owner of ICF Specialist in Litchfield, Arizona, if you want to survive these uncertain times, you need a solid shelter—“a place to ride it out.”

“We’ve been doing bunkers for a very long time, 12 or 13 years. We do a lot of safe rooms,” Fetters told The Epoch Times. “When we mention it, they’re interested in connecting a walk-in or closet to a vault or safe room.”

According to Vicki Connell, ICF Specialist Ltd.’s office manager, ICF blocks are frequently compared to Lego. “They’re very similar,” Connell says. “Connell says.” They’re a giant scale of a Lego block. There are lugs that snap into the next block. It was the brainchild of one of the owners.

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Gary Fetters of ICF Specialist, who did the ICF install says, “John and Pat have done so much. We had a meeting with the Arizona school board, and they were willing to come along. They said, ‘The money you’re going to save is huge.” 

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The neighborhood leading to the Lego-like house is currently under construction north of Luke Air Force Base by a few miles.

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Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) are often compared to Legos, but an Arizona ICF installer recently took the comparison to a new level. 

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With the threat of terrorist attacks and civil unrest, some people in the Phoenix area are choosing residential and security construction that is virtually indestructible. Two veteran brothers are at the forefront, building homes and bunkers that can not only save your life but can help you conserve energy as well.

Built on a hilltop in a prestigious neighborhood overlooking Phoenix, Ariz., the Howell Residence is a masterpiece. The Southwest-style home features clean lines, an open floor plan and a functional layout.

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ICF use is well-established in Arizona. The hot climate and extreme daily temperature fluctuations make foam-and-concrete construction attractive for energy savings.

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“There is no building in northern Arizona that utilizes the ICF concept as this project has,” says Rick Chalupnik, a project manager at ICF Specialist who supervised the install. The building is named after St. Francis of Assisi.

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“The overall complexity of the tall radius walls and the multitude of elevation changes make this church one of the most difficult we have ever completed,” says Rod Fetters of ICF Specialist.

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ICF use is well-established in Arizona, and church construction played an early role in driving commercial market growth in the area, with more than a dozen ICF religious buildings completed in the region.

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So, Fetters invented his own tall-wall bracing system that—instead of fastening to the floor—fastens to the lower section of the already completed wall. The patent-pending design, based on...

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Rod Fetters, the ICF installer for this project, says, “The level of complexity and creativity on this project had no limits.” The 21,000 sq. ft. building used more than 32,000 sq. ft. of forms in the exterior walls, plus an additional 13,000 sq. ft. in interior walls and landscaping.

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“We hosted approximately 25 field trips over the last few months for architects and engineers who were very interested in an up-close look at Xavier and how ICFs were utilized, and all the creative ways ICFs can enhance a structure as grandiose as this,” says Gary.​

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Fetters faced tight deadlines, as Redden Construction, the general contractor, had committed to an ambitious schedule. In the end, the crew from ICF Specialist erected 117,000 sq. ft of ICF walls in 135 days.

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Rod Fetters, the ICF installer for this job, says, “From the very beginning, the complexity of this project was apparent.” Because of the various parapets, the home had 22 differing wall heights, topping out at 38 feet above grade. Some of these walls have no intermediate floors.

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