Hemsec: An architect’s 20-year journey to building energy efficient homes

The excellent integral insulation in Hemsec SIPs walls, floors and roofs makes it easier to deliver high quality, modern homes, says architect Iain Macbeath. And he should know…

He’s been perfecting his company’s Thermopassive methodology for over 20 years and with new building regulations on the horizon, his system has never been more relevant.

Macbeath architects have been carrying out residential design projects in the Highlands and the rest of Scotland since 1981. Its sister company Thermopassive was later formed to specialise in SIPs house construction.

Director Iain Macbeath first came across SIPs in the early 2000s. He had a building with exposed oak and he was looking at various ways of cladding it.

His research included the US market, where he was surprised by builders using SIPs for the house structure itself. He learned SIPs are not only highly effective in terms of insulation, but can be used for any style of home, from the most traditional to the ultra-modern.

He set out to concentrate on the self-build market which has always been popular in Scotland, and create individual properties and small developments using SIPs shells.

Initially, Iain bought some bulk polystyrene SIPs and his first foray into using them was to convert an old garage. This was fairly successful, but SIPs were difficult to buy and there was limited technical information to support their use. Architects did not really understand how to use them.

He kept researching

His diligence paid off. Iain discovered a family-owned SIPs manufacturer based much closer to home near Liverpool. Their name: Hemsec.

Over the last twenty years, the two companies have developed a strong partnership, learning from each other. Iain has come to know the Hemsec set up very well; he likes the manufacturing system and now uses Hemsec SIPs exclusively ‘because of their superior quality, high level of certification and consistency’.

If you would like to know more about Hemsec SIPs, contact details can be found on the company’s supplier page.

Contact Hemsec:

Stoney Lane,
Rainhill,
Merseyside
L35 9LL

T: 0151 426 7171
E: [email protected]

Visit the Hemsec website

Visit Supplier's page