Super size plywood - The new “green” building material
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This is the fully insulated one bedroomed Annexe 9m x 6m
The recent BBC programme, Rethink the Future, introduced cross laminated timber sheets (CLT) – super size plywood as the new “green” building material. These can be used with the newly patented JointKit system used by JK Designer Builds to create visually exciting and affordable sturdy timber framed buildings on site from standard materials.
This new building concept is based on CNC cut plywood pieces which slot together to form joints to which beams are attached. The beauty of this system is that the frame can be assembled quickly and easily without building skills. An added advantage of the frame is that the building qualifies under the Caravan acts, thus avoiding complicated planning issues.
Using wood is really good - construction in the 21st Century without concrete foundations is possible with our single storey designs due to the light weight of the building, requiring only our ground support system of membrane, plastic grid filled with gravel and a small paving slab on top. The elimination of the traditional concrete slab foundation is environmentally friendly, and the savings are budget friendly. The ground support system means that sloping sites are not a problem as the frame can be supported by varying length of recycled plastic wood – which also avoids problems with rot.
The system is ultimately flexible. Sizes currently go from 1.2 square metres to 60 square metres. Shapes range from squares and oblongs to pentagons and polygons. It has been used to build home offices, studios, workshops and annexes and we have even designed the pentagonal Glampagon for a unique holiday staycation. This system could be used by Local Authorities for temporary housing and is also ideal for use in disaster relief as the frames can be constructed without power tools.
The patent allows for other materials such as steel. This enables the construction of multi-floor buildings with economical timber connecting beams rather than a steel frame building.
