106 | DS Building T T Kelly Deeks SIP homes warm, strong and calming “If performance is important to you, you use SIPs panels. If you’re building a house to live in long term, why not spend the money up front and get the construction done as well as you possibly can.” BUILDING Irving Builders High performance builds T T Rosa Watson A Christchurch construction firm is leading the way in insulated panelling construction and hopes to see the high-performance form of construction become the norm. Lance Irving of Irving Builders has established a prefabrication warehouse in the city where houses are partially constructed using SIP (structural insulated panels) before being taken to site. A recent project was a build at Castle Hill, near Arthur’s Pass, where the windows and wall panels were completed at the Christchurch warehouse before being transported to site. “We wanted to try and stand the whole building up in the first week. That was the goal. It was pretty cool standing the wall panels up. By lunchtime that first day I think we had half the wall panels up and already had the cladding and windows in, so that was pretty exciting.” The house was closed in and ready for the roofing team within the five. days. SIPs were a fast and efficient way to build and reduced the running costs of the home significantly. He hoped to see the industry would eventually move completely away from conventional framing that he felt was old technology with limited airtightness and hard to insulate. “To build better we need to build with better products. (SIP) is far more energy efficient. I think it’ll become more affordable and mainstream. We’ve got to make houses more affordable, and we’ve got to make them better.” He said currently, clients that built with SIP were typically at the higher end of the market, including retirees building their forever home. The business keeps a lot of work in-house, including excavation, roofing, concreting and painting and plastering. Since starting out the goal has been establishing the firm in the high-performance space, something that remains part of its future, Lance said. He intentionally moved away from group housing and more into a boutique builder. “That’s still our space.” As part of the direction, they become involved with SIP panelling and now construct most of a houses in a warehouse in the city before moving to site. “That’s something that came our way with being involved in SIP.” Lance started the business in 2009 and believes his childhood on a farm near Fairlie gave him a hands-on mentality. “My father was very hands-on and taught me all the skills which have become very much a part of who I am and why we do things the way we do.” The firm currently has a team of five, including Lance, with a pool of contractors. The team has travelled as far as Fairlie and Amberley, as well as builds at Sumner and Governor’s Bay. There’s no better way to build a house than using Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) according to Dallas Shaw of DS Building in Mosgiel, who has built 13 SIPs homes in the past six years. “They are warm, they are strong, and one of the things that’s quite hard to convey is how calm they feel inside,” he says. Dallas has been building coming up 30 years and has run DS Building for 20. He builds residential, commercial, and rural projects and has seen all types of traditional and alternative construction. He got on to SIPs during his time on the board of New Zealand Certified Builders Association, speaking to fellow board member and Passive House builder Brent Chatterton of Chatterton Builders. Chatterton Builders was one of New Zealand’s first building companies to achieve accreditation to build with SIPs, the high-performing thermally efficient composite panels that comprise two layers of approved structural board with an insulating layer of foam in between. Brent introduced Dallas to SIPs manufacturer Formance, and DS Building became one of hundreds of New Zealand builders and architects partnering with Formance to deliver warmer, healthier homes for their clients. Dallas says his clients building with SIPs today have done a lot of homework and settled on SIPs as their preferred construction method. They really appreciate the eco-friendly benefits SIPs panels provide. While other methods of construction include high volumes of waste and products that aren’t good for the environment, the Formance system maximises the use of resources and uses Oriented Strand Board from responsibly managed forests and 100% recyclable expanded polystyrene. The highly energy-efficient homes SIPs create means lower energy bills and lower carbon emissions. “Yes SIPs are more expensive but the way the H1 regulations are going, it won’t be by much. It comes down to performance or price. If performance is important to you, you use SIPs panels. If you’re building a house to live in long term, why not spend the money up front and get the construction done as well as you possibly can. You can always flash things up later on.” For DS Building, SIPs are a great method because of the efficiecies gained on site. Panels can be assembled in DS Building’s workshop, keeping the team busy whether rain or shine, and then craned in on site. “And that’s the 021 074 9577 www.jacobsarchitects.co.nz graeme@jacobsarchitects.co.nz New Housing & Maintenance Plumbing Specialists 0800 217 5862 WWW.A1PLUMBING.CO.NZ KERRY@A1PLUMBING.CO.NZ Proudly supporting Irving Builders www.directroofing.co.nz Ph. 03 453 3129 We will solve all your roofing problems
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