MHA INTERPRETIVE CENTER

Location: New Town, North Dakota

Square Footage: 47,831 (overall), 23,727 (Fox Blocks)

Extremely low temperatures during winter months in North Dakota created wet and muddy conditions that made it difficult to access the area with equipment and materials. By using Fox Blocks’ ICFs with strong insulating properties, the weather-related site issues were ameliorated, availability of ICF materials was never a concern, and the project was completed successfully

All projects faced supply-chain issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, but additional considerations had to be made while working on a Native American reservation. The availability of Fox Blocks eliminated all supply-chain-related issues and enabled the team to begin construction immediately.

This building maximizes the advantages of ICF construction with net-zero strategies in place across every aspect of the project. Built along the shores of Lake Sakakawea, the MHA Interpretive Center needed to have a durable and resilient structure to house some of the most sacred objects and artifacts of the Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Nation. Utilizing Fox Blocks ICFs, in addition to a 550 kwdc solar array and a geothermal well field, made it possible to create a highly-efficient, insulated building with greatly reduced energy costs.