At The Art of Building we are currently working on several new build properties. After going through the planning process some of these are ready to get the ball rolling on the build process.
We’ve seen many buildings built using traditional methods such as; timber frame, steel frame, brick construction etc, but we haven’t yet experienced the use of affordable, sustainable product like the one proposed on one of our current projects. This project proposes to demolish the existing house and build a new house using a new innovative material.
The proposed material is Insulated Concrete Formworks, which is essentially a large building block. The hollow EPS Foam block is built up, much like using Lego blocks, and the hollow core is filled with concrete to create a solid durable structure. A render is applied to the external face and the internal finish is completed by screw onto the wall, before applying the desired wall finish. This product promises to provide high energy efficiency and be cost effective.
Is this the future for building?
After much research and discussion with local builders/contractors, we have discovered that you can achieve the same energy efficiency using traditional methods. We’ve also seen contractors shy away from taking on this new method as they have little or no experience with it.
Finally, with the shortage of experienced contractors in this field, we feel it would be easier to construct a building using traditional methods. Needless to say the client has changed their mind on using this new product and opted for the cheaper, easier, quicker option instead! Maybe next time…
Keep posted to see images of the project in progress!
