Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan Hoffmann.
Alan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I began my career selling residential and commercial real estate and that is how I become tapped into the residential home building industry. I had been interested in alternative building materials for about 10 years before I discovered the product I still build with today. This interest began after visiting my family in Spain, where they often build using concrete and stone instead of wood framed structures for residential single-family homes. The homes were simple, elegant and efficient. I wanted to find a way to build homes like this and began researching products and building techniques.
I completed my first Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) home in 1995. This was well received by most consumers, but not acknowledged or welcomed by industry professionals. I continued to build this way and learned more about other sustainable features along with the energy efficient wall forms I was using. Cut to 2018, and I have been building with ICF construction for 20+ years. I am currently the President of the Dallas Builders Association and actively involved in all aspects of the home building industry. I am still laser-focused on energy efficiency and design and over the years have even designed some of the spec and custom homes that my company has built.
My company, Hoffmann Homes, is a family run business. My daughter and son-in-law both work with me along with many loyal sub-contractors and suppliers I have worked with for years. It took me several years to gain the acceptance and acknowledgment from my peers in the industry and I am honored to work and serve in this industry and community as well as share my knowledge and expertise on sustainable high-performance homes.
The insulated concrete form is used to construct the exterior walls of each home I build. Picture a foam Lego that is hollow in the middle. These are stacked onto re-barb to wall height and then concrete is pumped down into the center of the form system. This wall then is comprised of three layers, two outer expanded polystyrene foam layers 2 1/2″ thick with 6″ of steel reinforced concrete in the middle. These are high performance, comfortable, weather resistant, and low-maintenance homes.
Now that green, energy-efficient construction is much more broadly accepted and trendy the benefits of these homes are becoming rapidly apparent. Most of my clients seek me out because they want to build this type of home and have already done their homework but my goal is for this type of construction is to become more widely used across the state and country. This ICF construction is widely used in commercial construction and I hope to see more of it on the residential side of things in the near future.
Has it been a smooth road?
There are all kinds of challenges when you are doing something “different”. I experienced most of these day one. I have learned time and time again, people really do not like change. When building a home you are looking to many outside professionals, contractors, designers, and suppliers to understand what it is you are doing. It took me a few rounds to find the right partners for the work I was trying to accomplish.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Hoffmann Homes story. Tell us more about the business.
I own and run a custom home building business specializing in Innovative Green Construction. we use a specific wall form called Insulated Concrete Forms. This product is highly efficient and creates a comfortable, sustainable home.
I am proud to be reducing carbon emissions and improving the air quality in the city of Dallas with each home we complete. I am excited to see that people are really starting to adopt this mentality and proud that I can offer a product that suits their needs and does not negatively impact the planet as much as other less-efficient construction methods.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I am seeing an increase in the energy performance standards statewide for residential construction. This involves HVAC systems, more energy efficient windows, and a focus on interior air quality to name a few. I have been meeting these standards for many years already and given new code requirements, the consumer awareness is rising.
For example, a store like a Treehouse, which is basically an eco-friendly design center would have never been successful even 5 years ago in Dallas.
Contact Info:
- Address: 7324 Gaston Ave. #124-341 Dallas, TX 75214
- Website: https://hoffmannhomes.com/
- Phone: 214-324-0046
- Email: alison@hoffmannhomes.com
- Instagram: @hoffmannhomesco
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hoffmannhomesco/
Image Credit:
Team Hoffmann – Alison Charley, Charles Charley
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
