Almost all homes in the UK are built with a type of concrete or masonry block. They used to be clay and if you picture the garden clay walls with holes running horizontally, you get the picture. Then there was a parging placed on the inside and outside of the block which created an air pocket of insulation. Often this was the only structure/insulation but since the 80s PIR (polyurethane foam) and rockwool has been used on the outside, then a facing brick or heavy parge. There is a lot of variations on this and the Germans came up with "Ytong" which is an aerated concrete block that you can make any type of structure and the holes are now placed vertically. It is sold here by "Hubel" and has a good insulation value.
I was in Germany a few years ago and I watched some builders basically tossing up from one floor to the next, a concrete looking solid block. Turns out it was a 4" solid PIR with a stucco coat on all sides, maybe 8" by 24" by 4" thick. This went on the outside of the Ytong as more insulation and the wall structure is about an R50 for a 14" thick wall. It was a really cool way to build.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autocla...rated_concrete