Peat Rigg - Outdoor Education Centre: SIP Project
About the project
ARCHITECT: BHD Partnership - Whitby
PROJECT TYPE: SIP: Outdoor Education Centre
PRODUCTS: 125mm SIPS Walls, Acoustic timber stud
partitions and a combination of SIP roof
and traditional truss and Attic trusses
SIP Build UK, which supplies and constructs Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) on-site, was hired for a development at Peat Rigg Outdoor Training Centre where young people are connected to the countryside through courses.
SIPs were chosen because they allowed the outdoor centre to educate young people about the practical application of sustainability and use the building to showcase examples.
The thermally efficient structure, set in 100 acres of Cropton Forest on the edge of the North York Moors National Park, accommodates 35 people. It went up within a year, the SIP structure erected on site in a little over 10 days.
The SIP walls provided a perfect structural element for the external cladding timber to be fixed to. The 466sqm building has two floors and an attic. Attic Trusses were chosen for the project which allowed for future use of the attic whilst working to a tight budget to start with.
The secluded rural site that would have been difficult for normal construction methods to reach was an ideal choice for the use of SIPs. The reduced vehicle movements were a huge benefit for the site and the surrounding villages. (especially when the snow decided to descend!).
The centre has a ground source heat pump, 4kW photovoltaic solar panels and a 76kW biomass boiler that is fuelled by timber from the estate.
The building is environmentally sound but also practical, and has now opened up a large amount of attic space to be used for accommodation.
