Floating SIP House Bowen Island BC

Location: Bowen Island, BC, Canada

Project Information

Project Type:	Residential, Tiny House < 900 sq. ft.
Manufacturer:	Insulspan
Builder:	Union Steamship
Design Professional:	Union SteamShip Co. Marina
Year Built:	2019

Performance

High Performance:	No
HERS/EUI Index Score:
ACH50 - Blower Test Results:
kBtu/sq.ft./year:
CO2 lbs./sq.ft./year:

The project was started in response to a shortage of housing on Bowen Island. The "Floating Staff Duplexes" were built for employees of the Union SteamShip Co. Marina and related facilities. Being a floating structure, weight and movement from a rolling sea were of paramount concern.

A typical Float house is constructed on a heavy, concrete covered, foam base float that acts as a foundation for a standard wood frame. The SIPs simple assembly was done on-site by the existing maintenance staff. Its light weight qualities allowed for on-site launching of the home via a crane. Constructing the home on-site eliminated the need for major off-site construction logistics such as launching and towing the float home from a distant facility. The SIP structure was constructed on a standard joist-and-ply floor with an aluminum 4"x6" frame and aluminum vertical straps running up the sides attached to the SIP walls. The SIP structure became a total boxed structural element, with great shear strength. Two pontoons made of poly-covered foam billets sized 4'x4'x40' then provided the flotation. They are very light-weight, however, they have no structural strength. It is the SIPs shear structural element that took the place of a concrete foundation.

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