FLORHAM PARK, NJ, - BASF Corporation joined Habitat for Humanity, Mayor Michael A. Nutter and community organizers in East Parkside, Philadelphia, on Oct. 23, 2008, for an unveiling of the city's first three green and affordable homes built with ARXX Polysteel insulating concrete forms (ICFs) made with BASF Styropor expandable polystyrene (EPS) insulation.

Habitat designed the buildings to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification, one of the U.S. Green Building Council's most stringent measures of a home's environmental compatibility. The Habitat homes are the first of many sustainable building projects envisioned by local residents and Mayor Nutter, who has vowed to make Philadelphia America's greenest city.

"This ribbon-cutting ceremony is a symbolic turning point for a determined community that has spent many hours looking at how to build affordable, energy-efficient homes that will provide quality shelter for years to come," said Michael McNulty, BASF Business Development Manager for Styropor and Neopor EPS insulation.

McNulty explained that BASF worked for several years with community organizers, customers like ARXX PolySteel, as well as Habitat for Humanity, to provide technical assistance and training regarding sustainable building products and integrated design practices.

Habitat's architect, Bill Richie, selected ARXX PolySteel ICFs to make the homes more energy-efficient. According to ARXX, the homeowners will enjoy significant annual savings on their heating and cooling bills. In addition, due to the unique fabrication, the homes will also be highly resistant to rot and termites. Once filled with concrete, PolySteel ICFs act as a sleeve of BASF's Styropor EPS insulation around a concrete core. The forms were used to construct both the exterior walls and firewalls between the attached units.