Another option to speed up building your house after careful planning:
2 Likes
“Faster And Less Inexpensive” 
2 Likes
Good catch, it’s not my text though. I was entirely focused on the blocks.
They could argue that it is less in- expensive than Lego.
1 Like
Or adult Minecraft?
Mostly the same materials that go into SIPs, but with a lot more joints, cutting and assembly (in the shop beforehand).
1 Like
Seeing that they didn’t apply any sealants to the joints made me worried, especially for the suitability of the system to a cold climate like mine. Usually diffusion is not a problem but air leaks can carry a lot of moisture that can then condense in the outer part of the wall, resulting in problems with fungus etc.
2 Likes
For an old fart carpenter that’s been out of the trade a very long time this whole thing looks a little sketchy ! Would love to hear some comments from the engineer and architects on here. Trying to figure out just what holds this thing together besides some chunks of foam ? Got to love the precise trimming of structural components with a chainsaw !
Also, all those transverse pieces of wood in the blocks act as thermal bridges much more than standard lumbers installed at 16 inches intervals.
Finally, when they start the second level, they have no fall protection. Safety seem to be unimportant for them.
1 Like
That’s the mantra I’m getting from Passive House; Air leaks are the greater evil than R-Value.
“Too old for LEGO???”
Gazes fondly at the LEGO kits on my desk at work while feeling every day of 52 years old
4 Likes
Even installing all the first floor elements with all its little gaps is dangerous.
I was surprised by this to me unknown building technique. It’s far from being my favorite, to say the least. It is funny though.
I never came any further than playing with the small real Lego blocks.
This comment from YouTube:
For those wanting to see the end result, apparently they got pretty far but after a while their mom told them to put it away, it’s time for dinner
3 Likes
They applied a high-quality vapour retarder on the inside (Siga Majpell 25) — @ 7:35 in the video — and WRB on the exterior (Siga Majvest) — @ 11:45.
Assuming they were properly taped and detailed — which wasn’t shown — that would take care of moisture and air control layers.
It’s not obvious in the videos but from the website they explain that the battens tie the structure together from the bottom plate to the top plate:
The individual insulated wooden blocks of the outer walls are secured together by a system of vertically laid battens.
When a storey is finished, these battens — attached vertically every 40 cm — support not only all the blocks forming the floor but also the bottom plate and the embossed top plate with the screws provided.
1 Like
I would also worry about the moisture in my area. With the consequences of climate change precipitation changes in volumes and rates of rainfall will have a direct effect. However the secondary effects of increase microbial growth should also be considered. Surely they would skim OR clad those timber units in some way? So I suspect that YouTube clip is not giving us the full design specification.
I think I noted girder trusses in the roof structure which seems to be connected on load-bearing masonry columns. So those units are not likely load-bearing themselves.
Interesting idea but I think we’re missing information. It would be poor form by a quality designer to go-ahead with a new concept without having done quality supporting research to overcome the pitfalls of the idea.
Heck, you could do the design in MineCraft!
2 Likes