I'm planning on doing a fairly elaborate research paper on energy efficient building and design.  I've poked around here a little bit, but I have a severe lack of experience in construction in general, so I hope to learn from this project as much as possible to not only make an informative paper but to expand my knowledge as well.  For those of you out there with patience to help someone like myself, I would appreciate any feedback.  I'm not planning on this topic being the sole source of my research, rather more of starting blocks to help me find a direction from which I can figure out where to start. 

Specifically, I am looking for materials to build out of, how to build and types of architecture versus others.  SIPS versus ICP's, worth doing, or better options?  Basement or slab?

Thanks for any time/help with this project.  Looking forward to learning from this experience!