Beamish Passive House
A 550m² Offsite Timber Structure Designed For Passive House Performance
About the project
CLIENT: Preston Farm Developments
ARCHITECT: GDL Architecture
PROJECT TYPE: House, Garage and Gym
SIP Build UK Scope: Full Superstructure – This project uses a structural insulated panel (SIP) system as the primary structural and thermal envelope across the main dwelling and gym, supported by an integrated timber roof strategy incorporating glulam and loose cut rafters.
System Products:
175mm SIP Panel
The panels are typically 1220mm wide and can be as long as 7.5 metres in length to suit each individual project. https://sipbuilduk.co.uk/sip-walls/
Roof
Engineered timber roof structure comprising glulam beams and loose-cut rafters with a standing seam metal roof finish.
TF200
TF200 is a breather membrane product offered by the company Glidevale Protect. It is a high-performance membrane meant for safeguarding external walls including roof while construction is happening.
tbc – tbc + *2025
The costs provided are totally indicative and should be used informatively and not part of any detailed budgeting process. How long is a piece of string comes to mind!!! https://sipbuilduk.co.uk/sip-cost/
We do hope however that this helps to provide a picture of what can be achieved with our structures within different budget ranges.
Beamish Passive House
Set within the historic grounds of Beamish Hall, Beamish Passive House demonstrates how structural insulated panels (SIPs) can be used to deliver a high-performance building envelope for complex bespoke residential projects.
The project comprises a luxury self-build home, detached gym and garage totalling approximately 550m². Designed to meet Passive House performance targets, the development required a construction solution capable of combining structural efficiency, exceptional thermal performance and airtightness while maintaining architectural flexibility.
SIP Build UK provided the engineered SIP structure, creating the primary structural and thermal envelope across the development.
- The structure was erected and made weathertight in 5 to 6 weeks.
- The completed building achieved an airtightness of 0.3 @50Pa
The Challenge
Passive House projects demand more than low U-values.
To achieve genuine building performance, the structure must minimise thermal bridging, maintain airtightness and ensure consistent quality throughout construction.
Why SIPs Were Selected
Structural insulated panels were chosen early in the design process to define the building envelope before construction began.
Unlike traditional build-ups, SIPs combine:
- Structure
- Insulation
- Airtightness
within a single engineered component.
This simplified the construction process while improving predictability and reducing reliance on multiple follow-on trades.
The project utilised:
- 175mm SIP wall panels
- Engineered timber roof structure
- Glulam elements
- Loose-cut rafters
to create an integrated timber solution capable of supporting the project’s architectural requirements.
To learn more about the benefits of SIP construction, visit our Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) page
A Blueprint For Future High-Performance Homes
Beamish Passive House demonstrates how engineered timber technology can deliver exceptional building performance without compromising design ambition.
By combining offsite manufacturing, SIP construction and Passive House principles, the project achieved:
✓ High thermal performance
✓ Exceptional airtightness
✓ Reduced site complexity
✓ Faster route to weathertight
✓ Improved programme certainty
✓ Long-term energy efficiency
The result is a high-performance home designed to perform as intended from day one and a clear example of how offsite timber systems can support the next generation of low-energy residential construction.
Delivering Passive House Performance
For Passive House projects, the building fabric does the heavy lifting.
The Beamish structure was designed to achieve:
- External wall performance of approximately 0.10 W/m²K
- Exceptional airtightness performance
- Reduced thermal bridging
- Stable internal temperatures
- Lower operational energy demand
Because the SIP system was precision manufactured offsite, critical junctions and interfaces were resolved before arriving on site, helping to maintain consistent performance throughout construction.
Projects such as Beamish demonstrate how a fabric-first approach can support long-term building performance.
The Benefits Of Offsite Construction
A major advantage of the Beamish project was programme certainty.
Every SIP panel was:
- Engineered
- Manufactured
- Pre-cut
- Quality checked
before delivery to site.
This allowed structural connections, load paths and junction details to be resolved early, reducing site complexity and improving installation efficiency.
The result was a rapid route to a weathertight structure, enabling follow-on trades to commence sooner and reducing exposure to adverse weather conditions.
Sustainability Through Fabric-First Design
The project adopted a fabric-first approach, prioritising building envelope performance before renewable technologies.
Key sustainability benefits included:
- Reduced operational energy demand
- Renewable timber-based structural system
- Precision offsite manufacturing
- Reduced material waste
- Fewer site deliveries
- Shorter installation programme
By manufacturing panels in a controlled factory environment, material usage was optimised while site waste was significantly reduced.
Learn more about SIP Build UK’s commitment to quality and sustainability through our Accreditations and Certifications page.
