The New Harmony House in New Harmony, Indiana also is called the House of Tomorrow for its energy-efficient, low-cost construction. The house was designed by Roger Rasbach based on the Provident Home design he developed with his company, Rasbach Design.

The innovative work of Rasbach’s 50-year career legacy is one of beautiful, energy conscious homes like the House of Tomorrow. The house features a thermal shell of structural insulated panels that eliminates the need for conventional insulation. This type of home construction:

• reduces energy use 50 to 70 percent compared to a conventionally constructed home;
• is made of natural and nontoxic materials to protect the health of the family;
• will not sag, warp, shrink or decay with age;
• is structurally sound to survive severe storms, hurricanes and earthquakes;
• can be virtually termite proof and highly resistant to fire;
• is environmentally responsible and uses recycled material whenever possible;
• minimizes waste in construction so that natural resources are conserved;
• and can last a century or more with minimal maintenance.

Many of the Provident Home features found in the House of Tomorrow fit the needs of the Federation of American Scientists’ (FAS) efforts to develop appropriate construction for rebuilding homes for families ravaged by war in Afghanistan. Dr. Henry Kelly, president of FAS, is taking the lead in this work. Engineers and scientists are utilizing the Provident Home panel construction design to manage some of the environmental and cost issues of this challenging project.

FAS’ performance specifications for the Afghan homes include: architecturally attractive to Afghans (traditional home designs);

• good interior air quality;
• seismically stable;
• highly energy efficient to be comfortable in extreme temperatures with
• minimal use of external energy sources;
• inexpensive to build;
• inexpensive to maintain;
• secure in high winds;
• meets fire-protection standards;
• minimal imports;
• minimal use or no use of wood;
• compatible with sustainable businesses in Afghanistan that can be started with modest capital investment;
• employ people with locally available skills;
• minimal or no proprietary technology;
• and reproducible in other markets including the U.S.