Contact: Maridith Geuder
They're not yet as well known as the famous brown-and-white sandwich cookie with which they share a common trait.
Two Mississippi State research analysts insist, however, that structural insulating panels--engineered wood with a layer of foam between them--may one day become as popular with home builders and owners as Oreos are with kids of all ages. Reduced construction time, high energy efficiency and low-skill labor demands make the panels--usually referred to as SIPs--ideal for affordable housing, the university team members say.
"We see the panels as a real solution for providing low-income housing in Mississippi," said Joseph W. Hagerman of the Small Town Center, a unit of the School of Architecture.
The center and MSU's Stennis Institute of Government recently collaborated on a project with the city of Meridian to design and help build an all-SIPs Habitat for Humanity home. The Lauderdale County Habitat chapter and its director Fonda Rush were major partners in the effort, he added.
The panels were provided by PERMA "R," a Grenada-based manufacturer headed by MSU alumnus Tim LeClair, and General Panel in Union.
A team of MSU architecture majors, including Elizabeth Lacey of Columbus and David Brawner of Corinth, provided the home design and served as liaisons with local community agencies. Over a two-month period, the students mapped the neighborhood, met with the homeowner and neighbors, and introduced the SIPs concept to local agencies as they worked on a home design.
Both students said the intensive hands-on training left a lasting impression. "To go into a community as a stranger and to leave feeling that we made a difference is an invaluable experience," Lacey observed. Brawner said the public service project also provided rare professional opportunities, adding, "As students, we gained knowledge of new building technologies that we can incorporate in the future."
One of several statewide "women's builds" coordinated by Habitat, the Meridian project used an innovative design that honored Habitat guidelines for simple, decent housing.
"This was a wonderful partnering effort that benefited an individual family, as well as offering proof-of-concept for future low-income homes in Mississippi," Stennis' Judith Phillips said.
Hagerman said the residence included a galley kitchen, living/dining area with 16-to-18-foot ceilings, and one-and-a-half baths. "With volunteer labor, the cost of the 1,200-square-foot house was $34,000," the architect said.
SIPs panels require no 2x4 studs and may be installed with little skilled labor, which can speed construction time. In the Meridian project, the walls were erected and plumbed within four hours and the house was ready for occupancy in two just months.
In addition to having a new home for herself and her two children, homeowner Kim Lloyd also will realize considerable energy savings over the life of the house.
Hagerman said a SIPs-built home will cost about $570 annually to heat and cool, compared to $1,800 for a traditional, stick-built house. Also, because of the high energy efficiency, the structure can use smaller heating and cooling units.
"This (Meridian) home uses a one-half ton unit, half the size of the one-ton unit that normally would be required for a structure its size," Phillips said.
Collaborations between the two MSU centers and Meridian are continuing. Currently, university and municipal officials are making plans to expand SIPs-equipped homes into several neighborhoods. Discussions also are under way with the Mississippi Realtors Commission, which has identified affordable housing as a focus issue in the state.
"From our collaborations with one community, we see ever-expanding opportunities for Mississippi," Phillips said. "We also enjoy seeing the tangible results of community service."
For more information on the SIPs home project, telephone Judith Phillips at (662) 325-3328 or Joe Hagerman at 325-2207.