Photos: Courtesy of SPIA

From Boreal Community Media & SPIA - March 4, 2022

A cabin renovation in Grand Marais by Taiga Design and Build has won the award for best renovation from the Structural Insulated panel association (SIPA)   The winners were announced at the 20th Annual Building Excellence Wards on March 1, 2022.

According to the award entry, Taiga Design and Build were able to overlay the existing A-frame structure and retain the historic wood from the original build.  They cited "the energy benefits with no wood spline allowed us to increase by 6x the insulative value of the roof structure. We were also to utilize the structural aspect of the panels to create overhangs and uniques design features to increase the life of the new siding and windows of the house."

The design entry said the cabin was designed as a get-away and nightly rental.

To see the original award entry submission by Taiga Design & Build, follow this link. https://www.sips.org/energy-star-sip-getaway-cabin-grand-marais-mn

One of the most prominent offsite construction award programs, the SIPA Building Excellence Awards showcase the projects that best demonstrate the design flexibility, long-lasting energy performance and resiliency of structural insulated panels (SIPs). The award-winning projects are a testament to the advantages of utilizing forward-thinking construction methods such as SIPs to deliver a high-performance, healthier building envelope. Employing advanced materials and progressive building systems is more important and apparent than ever before, as the construction industry races to keep pace with increased demand. 

“With the permanent adoption of more stringent building energy, low carbon and electrification codes across the country, building professionals are quickly recognizing SIPs as the answer to meeting criteria of a high-performance structure,” said Jack Armstrong, Executive Director and COO for SIPA. “The winners of this year’s Building Excellence Awards demonstrate not only a commitment to meeting increasingly tough building and energy code requirements, but they also highlight the key role off-site building solutions play in mitigating today’s supply chain issues and labor shortages.”

The Building Excellence Awards gives SIP builders, designers and manufacturers an opportunity to showcase exemplary residential and commercial projects completed between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021. To be eligible for an award, SIPs must have been used on at least 50 percent of the building envelope, determined by square footage of the exterior walls and roof. The 2022 Building Excellence Award judges evaluated each project on multiple criteria, including design and structural engineering innovation, creative use of SIP construction, environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. 

In addition to the nine categories below, project entries that demonstrated eco-efficiency, health, resilience and renewable energy were considered in the high-performance (HP) running for that category. The 2022 Building Excellence Award winners are as follows: 

Renovations 
Winner: ENERGY STAR SIP Getaway Cabin in Grand Marais, MN 
Runner Up: SIP Woodworking Shop in Winthrop, WA

Affordable Housing 
Winner: Zero Energy Salish SIP Homes in Lopez Island, WA 
Runner Up: Zero Energy SIP Mountain Community in Basalt, CO

Agricultural 
Winner: Hidewood Meats SIP Market in Brandt, SD

Commercial Over 10K Sq. Ft. 
Classic Winner: Timber Frame SIP Club in St. Michael, MN 
Runner Up: SIP Country Barn in New Providence, IA 
HP Winner: LEED Montana State University SIP Structure in Bozeman, MT

Commercial Under 10K Sq. Ft. 
Winner: Multi-Purpose SIP Building in Webster, WI 
Runner Up: Dakota Zoo SIP Penguin Exhibit in Bismarck, ND

Multifamily 
Classic Winner: Affordable SIP Apartments in Grand Junction, CO 
HP Winner: Fire Resistant SIP Duplexes in Sonora, CA 
Honorable Mention: Prices Fork Village SIP Apartments in Blacksburg, VA

Homes Over 3K Sq. Ft. 

Classic Winner: Contemporary CalGreen SIP Family House in Los Gatos, CA 
Runner Up: Locally Sourced SIP House in Gig Harbor, WA 
HP Winner: Low Carbon Footprint SIP House in Spencer, IA 
HP Runner Up: Positive Energy SIP House in Bellevue, WA

Homes Under 3K Sq. Ft. 
Classic Winner: Resilient Zero Energy Ready SIP Family Home in Grand Marais, MN 
Runner Up: EcoRidge SIP Solar House in Stillwater, MN 
HP Winner: British Columbia SIP Passive House in Vancouver, BC 
HP Runner Up: Positive Energy SIP House and Barn in Bellingham, WA 
HP Honorable Mention: Modern Design SIP House in Hot Springs, SD

Homes Under 900 Sq. Ft. 
Winner: Craftsman SIP Passive Cottage in Port Townsend, WA 
Runner Up: Cheney Creek SIP Micro Homes in Milner, CO

Best Overall HP Residential Winner 
Fire Resistant SIP Duplexes in Sonora, CA

Best Overall Non-Residential Winner 
LEED Montana State University SIP Structure in Bozeman, MT

Congratulations to the 2022 award winners. To explore more award-winning SIP structures, visit the SIP Project Library, which includes more than 700 projects compiled from two decades of Building Excellence Award entries. 

About SIPA

The Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA) is a 501c6 non-profit association founded in 1990 dedicated to increasing the use and acceptance of structural insulated panels (SIPs) for sustainable building. We provide an industry forum for promotion, communication, education, quality assurance, and technical and marketing research. SIPs are a high-performance, panelized building system that offers superior thermal performance, air tightness, and durability for energy-efficient, healthy, resilient homes and commercial buildings.  Learn more at http://www.sips.org.