The New American Home® 2026 Phase 3 Update
The New American Home (TNAH), the official showcase of the NAHB International Builders’ Show®, is setting new standards for sustainable residential design as it enters Phase 3 of construction. To achieve a groundbreaking negative 50 or better on the HERS Index, the project aims to produce more energy than it consumes. Guided by sustainability experts at Two Trails, the team is carefully selecting materials and systems to stay on track toward this ambitious target. Currently performing at a HERS score of 60–62 without solar, the home is projected to reach an extraordinary negative 82 once solar panels are installed, marking it as a model of energy-positive living.
To reach this level of performance, the team is engineering an airtight, highly efficient building envelope using spray foam and FI-FOIL® insulation, high-performance windows, and AeroBarrier sealing technology to achieve one air change per hour or less at 50 Pascals, an exceptional efficiency benchmark. Now entering the interior finishing stage, the project demands tight coordination among multiple teams to meet its debut deadline for IBS 2026. Despite the challenges, TNAH 2026 is on track to serve as a living example of how precision, innovation and collaboration can create the next generation of sustainable, net-positive homes.
