Hello from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada! I recently discovered wikihouse and am very keen on building a garden house using Skylark 200 system. My background is in software, so learning CNC is much easier than learning the stick frame method. What is the advantage of wikihouse compared to SIP panel kits like this one https://www.sipkitsuk.com/ ? Based on the websites, the benefits are very similar. Could you share some lights on wikihouse v.s. SIP panel kit?
Thanks!
They might have an good thermal performance and are may be cheaper, but SIP panels in general are not as ecologic or environment friendly/ efficient as they claim to be. It’s mostly a chemical produced insulation (plastic insulation, poly something with small air holes) glued between 2 wooden panels. With the WikiHouse system you can choose yourself eco- insulation and it’s easier to disassemble the different layers in the structure for re-use.
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Hi Vincent, thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, that’s the answer I’m worried about. Here in North America, there isn’t a lot of awareness to pay extra for climate friendly products. Government is pushing hard on housing affordability. I’m worried that the next 1.5 million homes that plan to be built in Ontario are going to carry significant carbon footprint. I’m happy to use low carbon insulation material in my personal project, as I’m tolerant on cost. But for mass majorities, price is a deciding factor. If wikhouse can’t compete on price, it won’t scale. Is the construction industry in Netherland moving fast on sustainability?
Well, there is a lot of attention for sustainability and climate change in the Netherlands. The construction industrie is way behind (like always), but it is changing slowly. A lot of design and construction companies are exploring building with wood and other biobased materials. (Traditional we build with bricks and concrete) In reality approximately 5% of planned buildings will be constructed with wood, so still a long way to go. Before, a few years ago, it was below 1%… About WH, I think it is possible to scale up, also to compete in costings. Especially when it’s possible to produce a bigger number of WikiHouses.
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If building in an area where there is elevated fire danger, you should consider a metal roof.
You still can add metal roof without using SIP.