The Pegasus Airpark in Queen Creek, Arizona, was built with ICFs from Fox Blocks. This large residential project with a basement and aircraft hangar was the 1st Runner Up in the Large Residential category of the 2025 ICF Builder Awards.
The $2 million project in an airpark community features a 5,060-square-foot home with a full basement for entertainment, theater, and game room, plus an ICF-insulated aircraft hangar. The taxiway is only 120 feet away and the runway about 250 feet from the house, making noise reduction a primary concern. Retaining walls, a lower terrace, lower patio, and an aircraft hangar account for 3,900 square feet of additional ICF use.

Construction and Complexity
The structure features 54 corners and 13 different wall heights that required precise coordination, especially where the prefabricated floor joists and trusses had to come together seamlessly. The project also featured five curved radius walls, with three of them spanning two stories. Supporting these curved walls was a challenge in itself, particularly the main entrance, which had to support a cantilevered porch, and the radius around the stairwell, where staggered windows stretched across both stories.

Due to the design, the team had to creatively approach the terrace and basement areas. Forming the terraces first to create the lower patio area involved a three-step process for the basement, deviating from the typical construction sequence. Supporting the large, open gathering room below using ICF also required ingenuity. Instead of renting post-shoring scaffolding, the team repurposed heavy-duty, 10,000-pound blue post-shoring that had been in use for two decades.
The project incorporated two different ICF core sizes of 6 inches and 8 inches. “One of the most significant challenges was the requirement to pour the aircraft hangar monolithically, meaning in a single pour, at a height of 20 feet,” said Gary Fetters, ICF installer with ICF Specialist. “To meet this challenge, the team employed a double-wall alignment system, ensuring that the walls were perfectly straight and level, which was crucial for structural integrity.”

Construction and Site Considerations
The sandy soil at the site made excavation difficult, particularly when it came to supporting the Giraffe ICF alignment system. To resolve this, the team secured 12-inch-wide laminated veneer lumber (LVL) to the ground with stakes, creating a much larger and more stable footprint. The ICF alignment system was then fastened to the LVL with screws, which worked flawlessly despite the poor soil conditions.

The project was under significant budget pressure, especially when it came to selecting materials for the retaining walls, terrace, below-grade patio, and basement. The initial plan called for poured-in-place concrete with aluminum forms, but this was 15% more expensive than using ICF. By switching to ICF, the team saved approximately $12,000 and shaved seven days off the project timeline. The energy efficiency of the home reduced energy costs by over 40%, and the fire-resistant qualities of ICF construction lowered the homeowner’s insurance premiums by 10%.
The weather posed another significant obstacle, with temperatures ranging from 110°F to 116°F. Additionally, the monsoon season brought frequent rain, turning the job site into a muddy mess. Building in the exclusive Pegasus Airpark community introduced challenges related to debris management, given the site’s proximity to the taxiway and runway. There was zero tolerance for any trash or debris escaping the job site. To mitigate this, the team minimized the use of hand saws and relied on hot knives to cut the foam, reducing the risk of foam beads scattering.

Craftsmanship and Sustainability
The project included the installation of more than 100 embeds for securing the rear patio ledger board and hundreds of J bolts to connect the top plates. To ensure stability during the concrete pour, the team used 1 1/4-inch Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) for all window and door bucks.
One of the most innovative architectural features is the basement theater and game room, constructed with ICF on all four sides. This design leverages the acoustical benefits of ICF, ensuring an immersive theater experience by reducing external noise. Radius walls are throughout the home, from the kitchen area to the bathrooms and bedrooms, creating a sense of flow and movement. The great room boasts soaring 23-foot ceilings.

Above the owner’s suite, a private covered patio offers panoramic views of the airfield, while the rear patio extends the entire length of the house, providing over 2,000 square feet of outdoor living space. The underground theater and game room take full advantage of ICF’s thermal and soundproofing properties, benefiting from the natural geothermal cooling effect.

This home incorporates several sustainable elements, beginning with the use of Fox Blocks ICF, produced just 50 miles from the site. Low-voltage LED lighting is installed throughout the house. Due to the efficiency of ICF construction, this project only required a 20-yard dumpster instead of the typical 40-yard dumpster, cutting down on waste and landfill contributions by half.

In Arizona, especially within airpark communities, the application of ICF for constructing homes with basements is relatively rare. This project demonstrates the feasibility and advantages of using ICF in such builds, particularly for noise reduction. Situated directly on the taxiway and near the runway, the home receives high visibility, attracting hundreds of viewers daily and resulting in an uptick in ICF leads. The project has hosted six site tours, drawing in local residents and architects eager to learn more about ICF construction.

“I was very happy with the level of professionalism that the ICF Specialist team displayed throughout the project,” the owner said. The owner also noted that “the reduction in the noise pollution generated by aircraft engines has been amazing.”