(BPT) - An alternative approach to residential construction shows how a home can be comfortable to live in, easier to maintain and better prepared for whatever comes next.

Most homeowners don't spend much time thinking about what holds up their walls. They notice whether a house feels comfortable. They notice the noise from the street, the repairs that keep cropping up and, increasingly, how well their home can protect the people and things that matter when severe weather strikes.

A new St. Jude Dream Home^® in Lynchburg, Virginia, offers a different way to think about all of it.

For the first time in the 35-year history of the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway, one of its homes has been built with concrete block. At approximately 2,900 square feet, the house looks every bit at home in a modern residential neighborhood. What's different is behind the design: solid block walls intended to deliver benefits the eventual homeowner can appreciate on ordinary days and when conditions are anything but.

And soon, one lucky winner will get the keys.

A dream home with a bigger purpose

Since its start in 1991, the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway has brought builders, suppliers and communities together to build homes that help support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

The Lynchburg home adds a new chapter to that legacy.

"St. Jude families embody extraordinary strength and resilience, and we wanted this home to reflect those same qualities," said Brent Gleason, president of Dominion Block, Brick & Hardscapes. "We're proud to support an incredible mission while helping create a home that proves resilience doesn't have to come at the expense of comfort or curb appeal."

Built to look and feel like home

Concrete block may be doing the heavy lifting, but it isn't all hidden behind the walls.

Smooth, exposed block creates a contemporary two-story feature wall in the cathedral great room. Deep window openings create built-in ledges for plants, artwork and personal touches. The masonry chimney serves as a natural focal point, adding sophistication and a sense of permanence to the space.

The solid walls also give the house a substantial feel, challenging the notion that building for resilience has to mean sacrificing warmth or character.

The kind of resilience you notice every day

For homeowners, resilience isn't just about what happens during a major storm. Much of the payoff can be far less dramatic.

Concrete block walls provide thermal mass that helps moderate indoor temperatures and reduce heating and cooling loads, while their density limits sound transmission. They are also resistant to termites and rot and, when properly detailed to manage water, can provide a durable, lower-maintenance wall system.[1]

"As homeowners, we tend to put off maintenance. Before you know it, a small issue can become an expensive repair," said Andy Flint of L.G. Flint General Contractors. "But the mass of these block walls and the overall durability of construction is really going to make a difference."

Those are benefits a homeowner can appreciate without giving much thought to their home's assembly.

But there are also days when the walls' makeup matters a lot.

Concrete block doesn't burn and can help slow the spread of fire. Reinforced block walls can also be designed to stand up to high winds and severe weather.[2]