62 | MANUFACTURING selectSIP New facility to produce energy-efficient houses With waterproofing at the sheathing selectSIP’s system requires no external cladding to be watertight. The system is engineered to provide thermal breaking at the board join and the panels contain no toxic chemicals. The small South Island town of Murchison is now home to a manufacturing facility that aims to supply the national housing market with up to 150 energy-efficient houses a year. selectSIP Ltd NZ will use their latest environmentally sustainable Magnesium Oxide Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) technology to pre-construct houses for delivery and installation around the country. With waterproofing at the sheathing selectSIP’s system requires no external cladding to be watertight. The system is engineered to provide thermal breaking at the board join and the panels contain no toxic chemicals. In June this year, the first selectSIP purpose built factory opened in Murchison and will initially employ around 10 people. The company is already building houses around the country with its ground-breaking 5th generation product, with builds underway in Auckland, Tapawera, the Marlborough Sounds, Dunedin and Christchurch. Managing Director Leighton Horner, a 20-year building industry veteran, has run Precision Carpentry in Murchison for the past 11 years and sees the selectSIP venture as an opportunity to provide employment in his hometown and help the national housing crisis with a proven environmentally efficient product. “I can see great advantages of construction systems that maximise sustainability and environmental performance. “The speed and ease of construction of our homes means people can be in a warm, dry and thermally efficient home pretty quickly. We can scale up production to meet the needs of the market.” The selectSIP system was developed in Canada and New Zealand by Peritus Building Systems, and uses water-stable, thermally bro- Richard Loader ken MgO (magnesium Oxide) sheathed SIPs giving homes superior warmth, airtightness, moisture resistance and energy efficiency over other panel systems. All waste materials from the panel manufacturing process are recycled, so there is very little waste going to landfill. “By building our first factory in Murchison, we’re able to make the most of available labour resources and provide jobs for locals. We’re located very close to the state highway, so we can have efficient freight systems transporting our product around the country from here. “We manufacture panels for the houses on-site, which means we can maintain build quality and move a large proportion of the house construction activity away from the building site.” Although initially starting with up to 10 employees, Leighton says further growth is planned. “We have well-established systems in place to employ and train new workers. Our panels offer great advantages which make them very suitable for affordable and social housing, but they also offer great design flexibility for architects creating one-off builds.” Leighton says he is excited to be able to launch a new venture in Murchison that will offer employment in a growing industry. “Much of the available local employment is seasonal in nature, so this offers people a more stable alternative with year-round income. That can only be good for Murchison. I’m keen to keep job opportunities flowing for young talented people who would otherwise leave town for the bigger cities. “The fact that we are able to do this from Murchison, adding to the local economy, is a marvellous bonus for me and my team.” selectSIP’s new generation of MgO sheathed SIPS have the potential to provide an innovative, scalable and environmentally robust solution to New Zealand’s housing issues. Their panels are strong, water stable, and provide exemplary insulation, with no release of toxic chemicals into the home interior. “They outperform traditional Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and timber framed construction systems across a range of criteria,” says Leighton. “After fifteen years of refinement, the unique chemistry in selectSIP panels makes them superior to anything else on the market today.” “The speed and ease of construction of our homes means people can be in a warm, dry and thermally efficient home pretty quickly.” Mitre 10 MEGA Nelson are proud suppliers of building materials to Select SIP Limited NELSON mitre10.co.nz Nelson 99 Quarantine Road Nelson Phone 03 547 0747 OpeningHours Monday to Friday: 7.00am - 7.00pm Sat, Sun & Public Holidays: 8.00am - 6.00pm www.abep.co.nz Tim: 027 235 8351 Blue Barrier Vapour Permeable Waterproofing Membranes building designers Phone: (03) 544 9499 enquiries@gowanswalters.co.nz Proudly supporting Select SIP Limited LICENSED BUILDING PRACTITIONERS Building confidence
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