Panels have been delivered by Formance
While as the phrase goes "a picture says a thousand words" not every one can read architecture plans.
As an architect building models is one way to communicate my ideas to clients in addition to drawings.
Models are not only a great form of communication they are a great way of carrying out an investigation. I use models to test ideas and to confirm that what I have drawn actually works.
I designed my first SIP house in early 2012 when the local supplier was THERMAX. Back in the day the SIP were installed one panel at a time.
With my Avonhead high performance home Formance assembled the SIP into larger panels off site.
Whether the SIP panels are installed as individual panels or larger panel assemblies the roofing and cladding detailing is largely the same.
With my CastleHill bach SIP prefab the SIP came complete with offsite installed wrap, battens, cladding and windows. Therefore the detailing had to be different.
I was both client and architect. Iance Irving the builder and his team are clever guys being early adopters of off site SIP assembly. Therefore we just used drawings to get the project built.
Moving forward with SIP Prefab I want to be able to easily show clients how I detail for prefab. This is hard to do when the detailing is hidden by cladding on a site 100km from Christchurch.
I have therefore decided to make some 1:1 models to have in the office to show clients.
In SIP prefab with cladding, the most difficult details are slab to wall and wall to roof functions. I will be preparing models of these junctions to start with.
The other advantage of the models is to look at window detailing with a variety of window types.
It is a continual source of frustration that until recently none of the NZ window manufacturers had any detailing for recessed windows. Certainly none of them have detailing in a SIP wall. This has to change for SIP to be more easily adopted.
I'll be approaching some window manufacturers to ask them to make up window head to jamb and jamb to sill corners for inclusion in my SIP models. I see this as helping both me and them determine how best to use their windows with recessed detailing within SIP construction.
Next time a building consent official asks for a 3D drawing of a detail I'll just tell them to come look at my 1:1 models.
Once some of the models are prepared I will share with another post.
If you are interested in building a high performance house using SIP and Prefab come talk to me.
