The floors, walls, and roof of the house are built with structural insulated panels, or SIPs. SIPs feature expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam sandwiched between sheets of OSB, engineered wood paneling made from small pieces of sustainable, fast-growing trees. Detailed house plans are sent to the SIPs manufacturer, in this case Insulspan in British Columbia, and what comes back is a collection of custom-made panels labeled for easy installation. Window and door openings are already cut, and tunnels called chases are pre-drilled for electrical wiring. The result is a tightly built, perfectly insulated structure that goes up fast with no wasted material.

Photos courtesy of Northwest Property Imaging

Photos 26-28 courtesy of Shirey Contracting
Project photography coordination by Northwest Property Imaging