Fuelled by a passion for diving and twenty years of family holidays on the Isle of Lewis, our clients finally took the plunge and bought a sea-view plot on the island. They used local architects, Duncan and Fiona Porteous, to help with the design and as they were keen to stay true to the historical Scottish vernacular, they opted for a simple long house design with a large wall of glass to frame and admire the stunning sea views. Our clients were determined to source a construction technique with excellent environmental credentials, optimum thermal properties and strength to withstand the harsh Scottish winters. SIPs ticked every box for them and also meant that they gained more usable space upstairs as building in SIPs negates the need for roof trusses. JML SIPs was approached to engineer and deliver the SIPs house kit for them. 

Challenges 

House building in remote locations always gives rise to its own unique problems and the Isle of Lewis is no exception. The climate is prone to high winds and some severe weather conditions, so the fact that we manufactured and cut the SIPs kit off site meant that our clients were able to dramatically reduce the build time on site and get the house wind and watertight very quickly. The structural strength and robust nature of SIPs makes it an ideal building solution for exposed sites such as this. 

Services Delivered 

We carried out all the engineering for the SIPs kit, along with the cutting and supplying of the SIPs kit itself. This was transported to the island and then taken by tractor and trailer to the remote location and erected by a local contractor. 

This project was given a five page spread in Coast Magazine in January 2017. 

Client Testimonial: “We chose JML on price because they were the most cost effective for our custom design and we never regretted our decision. There were absolutely no issues with the kit and JML worked well with the contractor and architect. They’ve always been very responsive and have kept in touch with us since the build in 2014.We always get the impression they care a lot about what they do.