West Yorkshire build firm wins national sustainability award

SIP Build UK, based in Normanton, secured top place in the Best Building Fabric category of the awards following a public vote – in which thousands of votes were cast – for its work on Munoz House, a highly insulated and airtight building built using Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs) to ensure minimal heat transfer and reduce the need for excessive heating or cooling.

Launched to recognise the industry heroes who are going above and beyond in the delivery of energy efficient, safe and comfortable homes, the Making Better Homes Awards received a wealth of entries when it opened in 2023. The projects were whittled down to a ‘top three’ for each of the competition categories – Best Use of Renewable Energy in a Project, Best Building Fabric in a Project, and Sustainable Project of the Year – by an esteemed judging panel, including representatives from the Federation of Master Builders and charity Band of Builders. The shortlist was announced in February, with the public asked to decide which of the projects were most worthy of the top prizes. The winners and runners up were announced at Jewson Live, which recently took place at the NEC.

SIP Build UK took the top spot ahead of Orka Construction, which took second place for its work on two residential dwellings at Sandfield Park in the Wirral, which were designed to adhere to a zero-carbon standard. Third place in the category was Draper Studio, for its transformation of a derelict 1950s home in Peckham.

Ian Still, National Sales Director for SIP Build UK Group, said: “It’s fantastic to have taken one of the top spots in Jewson’s Making Better Homes Awards. Working with our customer Jay and his team on the Munoz House project from a very early stage helped to ensure that his dream of a Passive Haus Certified SIP home project was a success. To see Jay and his family now living in and enjoying the benefits of a Passive SIPs home is something that the SBUK team are extremely proud of, so to win this award makes the project even more special.”

Matthew Handley, Category Innovation Manager at Jewson, said: “This high energy efficiency build is a great example of how SIPs can add exceptional value to a project, and SIP Build UK deserves to celebrate for the exceptional standards it is setting in this modern method of construction. Taking a fabric-first approach, coupled with a high specification use of renewables, has delivered a wonderful living space for the families who use this home, and it acts as an example of how other developers should approach building with futureproofing in mind. Well done to all at SIP Build UK – both the judges and the public were hugely impressed with your entry.”