Location
HOMEARAMA® 2025: Foundry Park at Three Oaks
Hours
Monday – Thursday 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Friday – Sunday 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Registration
Tickets are $22.00 at the gate. Tickets can be purchased for a discount price of $20.00 on the HOMEARAMA® website. All tickets include parking.
Overview
The Committee on the Environment (COTE) presents an Ice Box Challenge to advance passive house design strategies (which can be applied to any building type) in Cincinnati. The Ice Box Challenge is a contest and an experiment to demonstrate how a building can be super energy efficient AND comfortable. The Ice Boxes are left outside in the sun for 14 days. When they are opened, the amount of ice left in each box will be measured. How much ice is left shows how well each Ice Box keeps out the heat. Better building design can help us reduce our carbon pollution. Energy-efficient buildings are comfortable, quiet, and healthy.
Why Passive?
Passive house design strategies can be applied to any type of building. These design strategies are reliable, affordable, comfortable buildings that use energy efficiently, so you’re heating or cooling only your building and not the outdoors. They stay comfortable and quiet throughout the year, including through summer heatwaves, winter storms, and power outages. The buildings use up to 90% less energy for heating and cooling than other buildings do, while maintaining good indoor ventilation and air quality. They are easy to maintain. They are also affordable to build, own, live in, and work in.
Why Cincinnati?
Cincinnati is poised to be a regional leader in sustainable design. City governance and initiatives are leading the way and local designers are on the forefront of passive house design. This is a opportunity for designers, contractors, developers, and citizens of this city to connect and look towards a more sustainable future.
Ice Box Challenge Programs and Events
September 27-October 12 - High Performance Scavenger Hunt (pick up your card at the Ice Box Challenge booth)
September 27, 4-5pm - High Performance Building 101 (for homeowners) Join Paul Yankie, President of Green Building Consulting, and Scott Hand, AIA, Founder of Trilobite Design who designed and built his own LEED Platinum + PHIUS Passive House–certified home for an inspiring session during Homearama 2025.
In this engaging presentation, you’ll discover:
✅ How the average Ohio home stacks up against today’s high-performance home building programs—Current Ohio Energy Code, ENERGY STAR, DOE Zero Energy Ready Home, LEED for Homes, and Passive House
✅ The building measures and specs that drive these performance differences—from insulation and airtightness to mechanical systems and renewables.
✅ What to ask and look for if you’re building a new home and want it to deliver maximum comfort, health, and long-term energy savings.
✅ A step-by-step pathway for homeowners who want to improve their existing homes over time.
✅ Available incentives and resources that make upgrades and new builds more affordable.
✅ How higher performance translates into real market value through better appraisals and stronger marketing advantages.
✨ Whether you’re dreaming of a new build, looking to improve your current home, or simply curious about what makes a home “high performance,” this session will give you the tools to understand the path—from your house to Passive House.
October 5, 2-4pm - Ice Cream Social at the Ice Box Challenge booth
October 9, 4-5 pm - High Performance Building Contractors Panel. Hear directly from builders involved in Passive and high-performance building: what challenges they face, what is driving the market, and where they see the industry going. We’ll cover everything from high-level industry trends to air-tightness details.
Carl Sterner (Moderator) - V.P. of Design & Sustainability, Sol Consulting
Allison Biernacki - Project Engineer, High Performance & Sustainable Construction, Pepper Construction
Paul Blackwell - Founder, Blackwell Built Construction
Andy Hueber - President, Hueber Homes
October 10, 5-6pm - THE REVEAL! Which box preserved the most ice?
NOTE: All programs and events require admission to Homearama.
Ice Box Challenge Sponsors
About HOMEARAMA®
HOMEARAMA® is the registered trade name for the single-site new home showcase produced by the Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati. The 2025 show will mark the 62nd year for the show. This year’s HOMEARAMA® is being presented by Ferguson Enterprises, Pella Windows & Doors and Two Men And A Truck.
HOMEARAMA® 2025 will be held at Foundry Park at Three Oaks in Oakley in the City of Cincinnati, Hamilton County. Foundry Park at Three Oaks is being developed by WP Land Company and Neyer Properties.
HOMEARAMA® 2025 will feature seven (7) fully decorated and landscaped homes in a variety of architectural styles. Show builders include Ashford Custom Homes; Chris Gorman Homes; Classic Living Homes; Heritage Building Group and Associates; Justin Doyle Homes; Somerset Custom Homes, Inc.; and, WP Land Company. Homes at Foundry Park at Three Oaks will be priced from $850,000 - $1.5 million. Show homes range from $1.4 million to $1.6 million. Each of the show homes will be LEED certified and each home will feature a rooftop terrace.
Foundry Park at Three Oaks offers a remarkable living experience just moments away from the bustling city center. This extraordinary development encompasses 79 planned homesites, embraced by green spaces, pocket parks, inviting gathering areas with cozy fire pits, and much more. The site is nestled within the iconic and highly sought-after Oakley neighborhood in Cincinnati. Homebuyers can take advantage of a 15-year tax abatement savings for this LEED®-certified project!
Surrounded by historical neighborhoods, upscale shopping destinations, acclaimed restaurants, vibrant nightlife, abundant entertainment options, and recreational facilities, homeowners will discover that everything they desire is very close by.
Whether you seek a leisurely stroll through Oakley’s charming streets, a delightful shopping experience at nearby Rookwood Commons & Pavilion or Kenwood Mall, or a night out in lively downtown Cincinnati, you will find that the possibilities are endless. Quick access to major highways ensures that homeowners can effortlessly explore the surrounding areas. Foundry Park at Three Oaks offers the perfect blend of convenience and excitement.
Foundry Park at Three Oaks is in the City of Cincinnati School public school district. Nearby private schools include the Seven Hills School- Hillside Campus; St. Cecilia School; Nativity School; and, The Summit Country Day School.
About Passive House Network
Founded in 2011, we are a national 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides education and community to professionals across the US building industry. We’re focused on the rapid implementation of Passive House building standards to robustly address our climate and social justice crises. We work with global knowledge networks, in affiliation with the Passive House Institute. https://passivehousenetwork.org/
About Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati (HBA)
HBA is a professional organization of builders, developers, remodelers, and related businesses who aspire to be on the leading edge of homebuilding through networking, education, and industry advocacy. The HBA also produces HOMEARAMA®, America’s premier new home showcase each year around the Cincinnati area. The HBA also produces HOMEARAMA®’s sister show, CiTiRAMA®, every other year in partnership with the City of Cincinnati. https://www.cincybuilders.com/
During this program, photography, audio, and video recording may occur. By attending this program, you consent to interview(s), photography, audio recording, video recording and its/their release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction to be used for news, web casts, promotional purposes, telecasts, advertising, inclusion on websites, social media, or any other purpose by AIA Cincinnati and its affiliates and representatives. Images, photos and/or videos may be used to promote similar AIA Cincinnati in the future, highlight the program, and exhibit the capabilities of AIA Cincinnati.