Glossary

Carbon Sequestration

The process of capturing, removing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the earth’s atmosphere. Trees are excellent at sequestering carbon, however when they are burnt or decay that carbon is released. By locking timber up in a building, that carbon can remain captured for centuries, long after it would have naturally been released.

Eco SIPs

This is our name for the unique Structural Insulated Panels we manufacture, which we have designed and manufacture according to ecologically sound principals. Unlike most commonly constructed SIPs which contain non-biodegradable, non-breathable foam insulation, ours use natural insulating materials such as cellulose and wood fibre. These natural insulations perform as well, if not better than foam insulations, but are renewable and biodegradable. The breathable properties of these materials can mean the panels can last longer. The sheet materials we use are primarily supplied by Medite; their Smartply products are formaldehyde free and manufactured to the highest specification in the industry. The wood we use to create the edges of the panels is always locally sourced and only treated when necessary.

Fabric First

Taking a fabric first design approach means looking to the fabric of a building to do most of the work of maintaining a desirable internal temperature, rather than relying on the use of mechanical or electrical systems for heating and cooling.

JCT

The Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) produces standard forms of contract for construction, guidance notes and other standard documentation for use in the construction industry in the United Kingdom.

MVHR

A Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR), or Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) system provides a constant supply of fresh filtered air, maintaining the air quality without altering the temperature. An MVHR system will extract the air from humid sources e.g. kitchens and bathrooms and supply fresh air to the living rooms e.g. bedrooms and reception rooms. The extracted air is taken through a central heat exchanger and the heat recovered into the supply air.

Naturally Durable Timber

Some timbers, like oak, larch and douglas fir have an inherent resistance to attack by wood destroying organisms such as fungal decay and insect attack. These timbers are considered naturally durable and do not require treatment (eg tanelising). It is generally only the heartwood of timber that is durable, whilst the outer (generally paler) sapwood is non-durable.

Off Site Construction

The bulk of the construction is undertaken off-site in a purpose built factory, rather than in situ, as one would for a block built construction.

Stick Framing

Stick framing is a type of timber framing which relies on metal connectors and fixings to hold it together.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)

SIPs comprise a core of insulation sandwiched between layers of structural board. They may be constructed out of a wide range of materials, including wood, metal and cement board. They can be made to any shape and size, and are used for many different applications, including exterior walls, roofs, floor and foundation systems.

Sustainable Timber

We only work with timber that comes from trees planted as a deliberate crop, harvested and then re-planted. We also only work with locally sourced timber.

The Building Envelope

The building envelope refers to all the materials which form the outer shell of a building; this includes the foundations, exterior walls, roof, windows and doors.

Traditional Timber Framing

Traditional timber framing relies entirely on joinery such as mortise and tenons cut into the wood and fixed with wooden pegs. Unlike stick framing it does not rely on any metal fixings.

U Value

The better-insulated a structure is, the lower the U-value will be. The term refers to the rate of transfer of heat through a structure, divided by the difference in temperature across that structure (W/m²K).