This home at the base of the Port Hills is constructed with Formance SIPs and has been designed using high performance design principles, including air tightness, mechanical heat recovery ventilation, and higher performing aluminium windows, which are also recessed into the insulation layer to reduce thermal bridging. No structural steel crosses the thermal envelope, which would otherwise create high levels of thermal bridging.

The homeowner had already started the design process with their own designer. We initially provided an estimate of concepts, providing confidence to proceed, before progressing to working drawings.

Architectural features include a double height entry with a standard double glazed sky light at the top. Despite aluminium windows and skylight, the home will still perform significantly better than a standard minimum code-built home in terms of warmth comfort and energy efficiency, and indoor air quality will also remain extremely high.