Somewhere between Springfield and Branson lies the small town of Highlandville, Mo. The city only has around 1,000 people. Yet it is the focus of a huge castle-like home being built. The Springfield News-Leader reports Pensmore is an estate being built by Steven Huff, chairman of TF Concrete Forming Systems .
The estate, which sits on about 500 acres, is named Pensmore . The official website of the place has all kinds of cool information regarding why the massive 72,000 square-foot structure is being built. Once complete, Pensmore will be one of the largest homes in the United States.
The point of the castle-like structure is that it will be built with ultra-modern technology . Insulated concrete forms, combined with special rebar made with high performance steel fibers to increase the durability of the structure.
The house is designed to be tornado-proof, last centuries into the future and will be extremely energy efficient. Solar panels will provide electricity. Pensmore will also rely on geothermal energy as well as ultra-efficient cooling systems. Some heating systems will be energy efficient even with traditional home heating--wood grown on site will help heat the home in winter.
The project claims the home will be a national showpiece for smaller home and commercial applications. If TF Concrete Forming Systems' vision comes true, sturdy and long-lasting homes can be a reality for not much extra in the initial building phase. The point will be to save costs later in the life of the house. Over 30 to 50 years, plus giving away the property to inheritors, a next generation of homes can be built safer and sturdier for the next several hundred years.
As a Missouri resident, I understand Huff's vision and applaud his efforts. Making houses affordable, sustainable and sturdier in the United States is a worthy goal especially in light of devastating tornadoes and wildfires the United States has endured in 2011.
When wooden houses get ripped to shreds in tornadoes, flooded out by hurricanes and burnt to a crisp in wildfires, the need for affordable and long-lasting houses is apparent every year in America. If the costs can come down when more people invest in these technologies, then having concrete houses will become the norm and not the exception to American homes. It would help if the federal government would help subsidize such construction for all homes so that Americans can live in safer structures and prevent future property losses.
The insurance industry could also get on board for such structures and lower insurance premiums for homeowners with such a safe home. The value of the construction materials of Pensmore alone is set at $6.89 million and is expected to be complete in the next couple of years.
William Browning, a lifelong Missouri resident, writes about local and state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Born in St. Louis, Browning earned his bachelor's degree in English from the University of Missouri. He currently resides in Branson.
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