The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently completed what it calls America’s first PATH Concept Home, which features more than 60 efficient, sustainable and flexible products and systems. The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) program is a joint effort involving the U.S. government and America's housing industry, intended to advance the use of construction technology. With the PATH Concept Home, located in Omaha, Neb., HUD has used "innovative housing technologies that support [its] goals of sustainability, efficiency and flexibility in an affordable home," says HUD assistant secretary Darlene F. Williams.

Architecture firm Torti Gallas and Partners created the PATH Concept Home Omaha design. It meets the requirements of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes, Environments for Living, EnergyStar and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Building Guidelines. The renderings on this page depict some of the concept home’s energy-efficient features.