Much like Smartwall is talking about with the TF system, Quad-Lock can give you an unbalanced insulation in a R-30, R-38, R-45

All this headache that most of us are cross eyed after the math from Dana, is unnecessary if you just use a system that is engineered to do what you are looking for. Re-inventing the wheel is most often not the best way to go...

Any added insulation should ALWAYS go on the outside of the ICF wall. Putting the insulation on the inside moves the condensation point in the concrete closer to the inside of the wall.
You don't need poly on an ICF house, other than the ceiling, unless you spray foam the underside of your roof, then you don't need any.
A walkout should have at least 2" of insulation under the basement slab.

With concrete construction you don't really care about dew-point control, since concrete is fully tolerant of moisture, unlike wood sheathing. Only in arctic extremes do you have to be concerned about moisture accumulation in the concrete itself.

If you look at some older forum posts, there have been some pretty in depth discussions about thermal mass and the benefits of unbalanced insulation.

Posted By FBBP on 24 Apr 2013 11:34 AM

Posted By benman on 24 Apr 2013 10:36 AM
Hello. I'm currently attempting to design a small efficient house and build it with ICFs. For the basement, instead of doing a traditional walkout, which involves stepping the footing and adding a frost wall, I'm putting the back door on the stair landing (kind of like a split-level entry but for the back door), which makes it about three feet above the basement floor (9ft ceiling). If I backfill up to that point, I have my required 4 feet underground, but still have lots of height above grade for windows to make the basement nice and bright. An ICF contractor has already said, "You will regret it." and that I'm complicating the basement. What does the forum think? I've attached the rear elevation. Thanks for any advice.

Looks like a typical split entry or bi level (depending on what part of the country you are from) to me. There is no reason not to do this in ICF. It is done all the time. There is less lateral load on the walls so that would be a good thing. Make sure you keep your minimum four feet!! I assume the ICF is still going at least to the subfloor?

I agree completely with FBBP but I'm not an ICF SME...I just play one on TV. 

It really looks like any other split level home that you might see in the midwest and/or northwest.  I think it looks clean and simple - meaning the design is not over complicated and/or cluttered.  What type of block system are you going to use?

Thanks for all the informative posts everyone. The sloping site I was looking at didn't work out. I've found a flat site and will be going for a two story with a slab on grade approach (another post due in another forum...).