Structural insulated panels (SIPs) offer economic, health and environmental benefits to new homeowners
(COLUMBUS) April 11, 2023—The Central Ohio Community Land Trust (COCLT), a subsidiary of COCIC: The Franklin County Land Bank, announced today it is partnering with Columbus, Ohiobased Cap City Collaborative to introduce two new affordable housing concepts using structural insulated panels or SIPs. Working with Cap City is part of the COCLT’s strategy to explore more innovative and sustainable ways to increase affordable housing in Franklin County.
“Solving the growing housing crisis in our region is going to require more innovation and exploration. This is why the COCLT has chosen to partner with Cap City Collaborative on our first SIP homes. According to research, SIPs speed up build time and are healthier and safer for our homeowners. They also reduce energy costs and are more sustainable,” said Curtiss L. Williams, Sr., President/CEO of COCIC. “Most of the conversation today about affordable housing is about purchase price. However, building with SIPs allows us to also consider meaningful variables like speed to market and lowering the cost of running a home.”
Scheduled to be completed in Spring 2023, the COCLT and Cap City will be building one ranch home in the Hilltop and two homes, one ranch and one loft, in Whitehall using SIPs. Once the panels are manufactured and delivered, a SIP home exterior structure is assembled in approximately 3 days versus 3 to 4 months traditionally.
Averaging approximately 1,000 square feet, the COCLT is also considering how to maximize land usage. In Whitehall, for example, the COCLT is building two SIP homes on a lot that would traditionally be one, larger home. Land availability is often a barrier to increasing affordable housing, so using SIPs and rethinking traditional lot sizes could allow the COCLT to build more homes, faster in the future.
“With a mutual focus on exploring innovative solutions to the housing shortage in Central NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 11, 2023 Contacts: Curtiss L. Williams, Sr. President/CEO COCIC: The Franklin County Land Bank (614) 724-4938 [email protected] Ohio, we hope our partnership with the COCLT will catapult Columbus as a leader in providing creative, affordable housing solutions,” said Rebecca Caprini, co-founder of Cap City Collaborative. “Because of their sustainability features, health benefits and energy efficiency, we see this model growing and creating a real impact in Franklin County and beyond.”
“We see the impact that increased construction costs, a tight labor market and uncertain lead times are having on the industry,” added Caprini. “Whether building a luxury home or an entry level house, you’re paying market rate construction prices. We’re also aware that given growth projections, Central Ohio has an overall housing shortage, causing home prices to spike nearly 20% since 2020. Given these factors, the Cap City team decided to look at longterm cost-savings and sustainability both as the builder and the home owner.”
Cap City’s SIP homes are comparable in cost to a traditional framed home, once labor savings and reduced job site waste are considered. However, building with SIPs provide up to 60 percent in annual utility cost savings, according to the Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA). The homes were also designed with the ability to reach net zero emission potential.
There are a variety of benefits to building with SIPs, including:
- 40-60% less energy usage
- Exceptional thermal performance
- Up to 55% less labor required
- 45% less CO2 emissions during construction
- Healthier indoor air quality
- Increased sustainability
- Faster construction and less job site waste
- Greater design flexibility
Source: SIPA, 2023
“We are excited about the benefits SIPs could provide to our homeowners and expect our team to continue exploring new, forward-thinking options for building houses that are permanently affordable to working individuals and families,” added Williams.
About COCIC:
The Franklin County Land Bank COCIC is a non-profit organization formed by the Franklin County Commissioners in 2012 to improve the quality of neighborhoods and communities within Franklin County. More information about COCIC can be found at www.cocic.org.
