| E-Space® Systems |
E-Space Structural Insulated Panels vs. Stick Built Construction
There are numerous methods of achieving “Green” construction: These include
rammed earth, straw bale and Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). Structural
building panels are not new. Timber Framers have been using variations of
them since the 1930s to fill in the openings in post and beam construction.
Essentially, the panels take advantage of maximum effectiveness and minimal
use of natural resources. They consist of two layers of oriented strand board
(OSB) laminated to rigid foam insulation. This combination provides tremendous
strength uniformly throughout the wall as well as being free from the waste
generated from defects and imperfections of still wet framing lumber milled from
old growth forests and rushed to market. This allows the panels themselves to
become an integral part of the building’s structure thereby lessening the need
for rafters and other members. As a point of information, SIP clad homes were
among the only structures that survived the devastating earthquake in Kobe,
Japan in 1995.
The real beauty of the E-Space System is in the simplicity of construction. After
the structural space frame is bolted together, the SIPs arrive at the jobsite with
door and window openings cut out. Installation is a lot like snapping giant Lego
pieces together. The panels are typically one floor high and even large panels
can be handled by just two or three people. The sandwiched solid insulation
has pre-drilled holes located at strategic locations to run wiring through both
vertically and horizontally. Panels come in different wall thicknesses for a variety
of uses including walls, floors and roofs. It typically takes about two and a half
days of relatively unskilled labor to attach all walls and roof panels thereby
creating a totally enclosed, weatherproof structure. Multiple dumpster loads of
expensive waste normally created by conventional construction are totally
eliminated by the E-Space System.
The benefits are many. R-values are exceptionally high due to the lack of
thermal breaks and the tight seal of the exterior walls and roof of the house.
Walls can have an R-value of 25 and, if desired, 10-inch roof panels of R-40
may be specified. Also due to the high strength of the panels, E-Space roofs
can be designed to hold snow, thus further increasing the insulation in harsh
climates.
Through the use of engineered made-to-size lumber beams made from
shredding “junk” trees for the space frame, quickly renewable bamboo for floors,
together with other “green” materials and systems, there is no alternative
construction method equal to the ecological benefits inherent in the
E-Space System.
Because of the tremendous insulation inherent in the system, utility operating
costs can be a fraction of conventional stick built construction. By incorporating
solar generating systems, the payback in energy savings is just a few years vs.
never in conventionally built structures.
An additional, not so obvious, benefit is the significant savings in financing
charges. Conventional construction can take months and months of highly
skilled labor while exposing all materials and workmen to hostile weather
conditions and job delays. Because of the very few days needed to produce an
enclosed structure and then to be able to quickly complete the interior systems
shielded from the weather, construction loan charges are significantly reduced.
The spiritual pleasure and long term value of living in soaring E-Spaces is
impossible to measure. The added resale value of such a desirable dwelling,
should there ever be a decision to sell it, is a huge added bonus.
There are numerous methods of achieving “Green” construction: These include
rammed earth, straw bale and Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). Structural
building panels are not new. Timber Framers have been using variations of
them since the 1930s to fill in the openings in post and beam construction.
Essentially, the panels take advantage of maximum effectiveness and minimal
use of natural resources. They consist of two layers of oriented strand board
(OSB) laminated to rigid foam insulation. This combination provides tremendous
strength uniformly throughout the wall as well as being free from the waste
generated from defects and imperfections of still wet framing lumber milled from
old growth forests and rushed to market. This allows the panels themselves to
become an integral part of the building’s structure thereby lessening the need
for rafters and other members. As a point of information, SIP clad homes were
among the only structures that survived the devastating earthquake in Kobe,
Japan in 1995.
The real beauty of the E-Space System is in the simplicity of construction. After
the structural space frame is bolted together, the SIPs arrive at the jobsite with
door and window openings cut out. Installation is a lot like snapping giant Lego
pieces together. The panels are typically one floor high and even large panels
can be handled by just two or three people. The sandwiched solid insulation
has pre-drilled holes located at strategic locations to run wiring through both
vertically and horizontally. Panels come in different wall thicknesses for a variety
of uses including walls, floors and roofs. It typically takes about two and a half
days of relatively unskilled labor to attach all walls and roof panels thereby
creating a totally enclosed, weatherproof structure. Multiple dumpster loads of
expensive waste normally created by conventional construction are totally
eliminated by the E-Space System.
The benefits are many. R-values are exceptionally high due to the lack of
thermal breaks and the tight seal of the exterior walls and roof of the house.
Walls can have an R-value of 25 and, if desired, 10-inch roof panels of R-40
may be specified. Also due to the high strength of the panels, E-Space roofs
can be designed to hold snow, thus further increasing the insulation in harsh
climates.
Through the use of engineered made-to-size lumber beams made from
shredding “junk” trees for the space frame, quickly renewable bamboo for floors,
together with other “green” materials and systems, there is no alternative
construction method equal to the ecological benefits inherent in the
E-Space System.
Because of the tremendous insulation inherent in the system, utility operating
costs can be a fraction of conventional stick built construction. By incorporating
solar generating systems, the payback in energy savings is just a few years vs.
never in conventionally built structures.
An additional, not so obvious, benefit is the significant savings in financing
charges. Conventional construction can take months and months of highly
skilled labor while exposing all materials and workmen to hostile weather
conditions and job delays. Because of the very few days needed to produce an
enclosed structure and then to be able to quickly complete the interior systems
shielded from the weather, construction loan charges are significantly reduced.
The spiritual pleasure and long term value of living in soaring E-Spaces is
impossible to measure. The added resale value of such a desirable dwelling,
should there ever be a decision to sell it, is a huge added bonus.