This build started out as a concrete frame barn. As per the Class Q rules, the client was able to convert their agricultural building into a residential dwelling within permitted development.
The new barn keeps the overall footprint of the old one and encloses the original concrete frames, which have been kept as a feature.
One of the more impressive aspects of the build is the large open plan living area, supported by a 14 metre clear span steel; one of the largest steels we have ever installed.
The build also features a mezzanine area in the roof space of the central section with stunning views of the surrounding rural landscape.
From first delivery to site, the installation for this 275+ square meter property took under 5 weeks for the SIPs superstructure including the steel.
This project showed the flexibility of SIPs regarding accommodating existing features and also highlighted the speed of install.
This build involved adding a second habitable story to a bungalow, by replacing the roof with a SIPs roof.
The naturally vaulted design of SIPs gives plenty of space for habitable eaves, whilst also massively increasing the thermal performance of the property.
This was one of our most complex builds as it had six dormers of differing size and lots of angled cuts for the roof. Integrating a precision cut SIP with a traditional wall is always a challenge, but one we are quite used to. Over the last half a century the existing walls are likely to have shifted, settled and come out of square, and that was certainly the case with this project. This makes it a challenge form both a design and installation perspective.
We send as accurate and as well thought out kit as possible, but if any problems do arise on site, our experienced team of fitters are able to deal with them to ensure the client is left happy and the works progress smoothly. They also must ensure they maintain the all-important air tightness that our product is known for.
Weather was a significant obstacle on this job as many of the panels and steels needed lifting using a HIAB, due to the tight access and limited space at the roadside entrance to the property. Coordinating lifting equipment and ferry times during high winds added to the complexity of an already complex build. As always we were able to leave the client with a great result.
This build was a long time in the making. The clients were on board with us for over two years while planning was being navigated for this amazing build on a rural site in Dorset.
After many a back and forth in the design stage the long wait was finally over, and the build shot up in under 4 weeks.
The uneven roof pitches meant cranked steel frames had to be installed to deal with the unusual loadings.
The build opted for the 225mm SIPs for walls and roof, our thickest available. These ensure passive standard insulation and natural air tightness to ensure that heating and energy use are minimised. An MVHR system was utilised to circulate clean, filtered air whilst balancing the internal temperature at the fraction of the energy cost of central heating.
This project was built under the caravan act and so the modular nature of SIPs worked perfectly for building it on the required chassis.
The 130 sqm footprint gives an ample footprint, with three-meter internal ceiling heights giving a real sense of scale and space. It resembles a caravan in name only.
The planning rules around caravans specifies that the structure must be able to be split in half meaning that the SIPs shell and chassis were designed as two separate halves to be joined together on site.
The simple shape of the build, combined with SIP’s simple approach, ensured that the structure was completed, including the chassis frame, in just a few weeks.
This 1920’s bungalow renovation involved the addition of a new first floor and roof in SIPs. This doubled the liveable floor area of the property and provided a much needed thermal boost to an old, poorly insulated building.
The age of the existing building bought its own challenges, but our experienced fitting team completed the project in under 3 weeks. Where the SIP system is so light it meant that minimal modifications were required to the existing foundations which helped keep timescales and costs down.
The final look of the build, completed by a great local builder, maintains a very traditional look with the tile hung gables and roof in keeping with the traditionally built brick ground floor. Underneath this however is the hidden performance that only SIPs can provide.
Designed to imitate the looks of a chicken barn which was once on the property, this new build achieved incredible results. We really enjoyed utilising our joinery roots by manufacturing some stunning oak trusses which sat in the open plan kitchen living area as a fantastic, traditional structural feature to this otherwise modern-styled build.
The client was aiming for an air tightness test result of 3. The build achieved 0.6! This is one of the best air tightness ratings we’ve seen and was achieved using our 175mm wall and 200mm roof panel. In addition to the natural air tightness of SIPs, the client employed a high-quality internal vapour control layer which we helped lap behind stud walls to create a continuous internal seal. Both us and the client were particularly pleased with this result.
