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The structural system you choose to build your dream home will have implications on practically every level of your project. Costs, build speeds, internal layout and energy efficiency are just some of the areas that could be affected, so it’s important to do your research and make an informed decision before drawing up self build plans.
From the hands-on familiarity of brick and block to the ultra-fast build speeds and super-airtightness of structural insulated panels (SIPs), there’s something to savour in every structural system.
Local planning authorities are usually more concerned with the external look of your home rather than the build system at its heart. That’s because, at the end of the day, every new home has to meet Building Regulations – and every structural system is capable of doing so.
Naturally, if you’re self building in an area filled with timber frame houses, planners and neighbours are more likely to be amenable to a similar build. But unless you opt for a really unusual route, or your plot lies in an area of outstanding natural beauty or conservation area, it’s rare to encounter any problems at planning level with this fundamental decision.
To help make things easier, we’ve put together a guide to each of the major structural systems’ pros and cons, alongside highlighting some of our favourite projects and a few alternative building routes.
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Modern masonry, or brick and block construction, is still the most popular structural system and building route in the UK – it’s well known by trades, able to create striking homes and many love its familiar look and feel. Brick and block consists of an outer brick skin and an inner block skin. These two leaves are held together with wall ties. Internal load-bearing walls are also made of blocks, while timber studwork is used for non-load bearing walls.
In the past, wall cavities were restricted to around 100mm – more than enough to satisfy Building Regulations, but nevertheless a limiting factor on insulation levels. Recent innovations in wall tie manufacture, however, have led to dramatic improvements. “We regularly deal with brick-and-block constructions involving cavities up to 300mm in width,” says Jamie Hayes, technical officer for insulation manufacturer Celotex.
CASE STUDY Brick and block bungalowDairy farmers Roger and Helen Francis had lived in the same farmhouse for over 50 years. It had been passed down the generations, and in 2018 it was time for their son to take the keys. “We needed to remain on the farm, so decided to build a bungalow on our land,” Helen explains. The couple enlisted Craig from Ke-Design to design a home fit for the sloping site, but as the plot was within a local needs exception site, the build had to be smaller than 100m² and positioned close by to the other agricultural buildings.
The comfortable brick and block home was complete in under a year and is simple, elegant and traditional while being perfectly suited to the couple’s needs, for both now and later down the line. The exterior is finished with slate roof tiles, handmade heritage bricks, horizontal oak cladding and oak posts that support a veranda area, giving the couple a sheltered space to enjoy all year round. |
Masonry houses are built entirely on site, beginning with concrete foundations. Work progresses to first-floor level, at which point internal load-bearing walls are constructed and timber floor joists or a pre-cast concrete floor added, before continuing up to the roof.
Build speed: Around 20 weeks for a three-bedroom home (180m²). Site work progresses slower than alternatives such as a timber frame, but lead times for materials are drastically reduced.
Cost: Around £80-100 per m² for the blockwork, cavity insulation, brick outer wall, lintels, wall ties and cavity closers.
Brick and Block Pros
Brick and Block Cons
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The National Custom and Self Build Association (NaCSBA) estimates that timber frame construction accounts for 31.8% of self build projects. In a timber frame system, the shell acts as a superstructure, supporting the entire building. So there may be no requirement for internal load-bearing walls, freeing up space for open-plan layouts.
The timber frame is prefabricated offsite, giving you the reassurance of a factory guarantee that the high-quality finished house shell will deliver the performance you’re expecting.
CASE STUDY Woodland timber frame homeTimber Innovations, TAS Architects and the homeowners worked together to create this contemporary timber frame home, bedded harmoniously into a woodland site. Consisting of two timber frame, barn-style volumes separated by a tranquil courtyard, the house features a low-key exterior that complements the surroundings perfectly.
Inside, the design makes full use of timber frame’s structural advantages, with elegant rafters, wide spans of glazing and lofty, vaulted ceilings.
“The timber frame panels were factory insulated with wood fibre insulation – chosen for its natural and breathable characteristics. Together with airtightness and wind tightness membranes, this high-performance solution was chosen by our client to ensure low running costs whilst maximising embodied carbon,” says David Himmons, managing director at Timber Innovations. |
Timber framing is a specialist skill, so don’t expect to get too hands-on with this part of the build. Most manufacturers require you to commission them to both fabricate and erect the frame, taking it at least to watertight stage.
Some timber frame suppliers even provide a full turnkey service for your bespoke self build home, where you agree the design and they complete all the works for you. Alternatively, the company may have a list of recommended contractors in your area.
Often, you can either choose from a range of standard designs, which can be tweaked, or ask your timber frame supplier to work to bespoke plans drawn up by an architect. Design options for this structural system range from ultra-modern homes clad in swathes of glass to traditional beamed properties.
Build speed: A timber frame home can be erected and made watertight in as little as five days.
Cost: Around £90-120 per m² for the structural frame.
Timber Frame Pros
Timber Frame Cons
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The insulated concrete formwork (ICF) structural system involves stacking a series of hollow blocks, which interlock to create a mould that can then be pumped full of ready-mixed concrete for an ultra fast build. The resulting walls are pre-insulated and super airtight. Common block options include expanded polystyrene (EPS) and bonded wood fibre, while panelled versions are also available.
CASE STUDY Striking countryside ICF homeThis striking copper, stone and timber-clad self build replaces a traditional cottage that had been unsympathetically extended and altered in the late ’90s, removing much of the original fabric and charm.
Constructed using an insulated concrete formwork (ICF) from R-Wall and designed by ARCO2 Architecture, the new dwelling is a high-performance, low-carbon home that thoughtfully enhances its historical context. The new build features a 10kW Vaillant air source heat pump, an array of 4kW solar panels, paired with battery storage, and a mechanical ventilation system.
“Sustainability was a key focus when designing the home, and it’s amazing that the completed structure now surpasses Passivhaus U-value standards and achieves a minimal operational carbon footprint of just 15 kWh/m²/year,” says Ian Armstrong, director at ARCO2 Architecture. Photos: Matthew Heritage |
Using an experienced ICF installer is the best way to ensure project success when choosing this structural system. But with a little training, which is often offered by ICF suppliers, self builders can get very hands-on with building work.
The trick to proper construction is getting the first course absolutely plumb, level and square. It’s well worth getting professional assistance at this stage to set the pattern for the rest of the work, as any misalignments tend to get amplified as building progresses.
The construction of this home by ICF Bondmor used 484m² of ICF walling with a 412m² insulated raft foundation. The entire build took 60 days to complete, and the finished property has an impressive airtightness level of 0.26m3/hr/m²
ICF is a quick build system, so even if you employ skilled workers for the duration of the project you should still save on labour costs in comparison to brick-and-block. Once the concrete pour is set, the structure can then be finished in your choice of cladding. Render, for instance, can be directly applied to the polystyrene blocks.
Build speed: Basic structure can be up in a matter of days.
Cost: Around 10% higher than for a typical brick and block build.
ICF Pros
ICF Cons
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Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are very similar to the timber frame structural system. They are typically made up of two layers of oriented strandboard (OSB) bonded around an inner core of insulating material.
The precision-engineered panels are prefabricated in a factory, which makes for excellent quality control along with time and labour cost savings on site. When used for load-bearing purposes, they’re suitable for building walls, ceilings and floors.
In fact, SIPs panels are so strong that they can be used to create truss-less roofs for liveable loftspace that make best use of available height. We’ve heard of many self builders who’ve combined other build methods with a SIPs roof for this reason.
CASE STUDY Off-grid SIPs HomeBuilt on an elevated north-facing sloping plot in Northumberland, this low-carbon home has been constructed using a 142mm Kingspan TEK system, engineered and installed by SIPs@Clays. This is key to the house’s A-rating for energy efficiency, and its impressive 0.6m³/hr/m² airtightness result.
Triple glazing, 6.4kW of solar panels, a 3kW wind turbine with lithium battery, bioethanol stove and an MVHR system all contribute to this low-energy home, enabling the owners to achieve their net zero targets. |
The SIPs structural system is growing in popularity as a wrap-around for green oak frames, combining this system’s airtightness with the charm of internal exposed beamwork.
Whether you choose a full SIPs build or a wrap-around, this system will deliver an exceptionally airtight and highly insulated building envelope. This can make energy-saving standards such as Passivhaus easy to achieve.
On this project by Glosford SIPs, a crane slots the Kingspan TEK building components carefully into place to form the roof of the house. Openings for rooflights have already been pre-cut into the panels
As SIPs panels are lightweight they’re quick and easy to crane into place, which will save you time at the construction stage. Experienced teams can erect the structure of a standard SIPs house in as little as three days (or seven to 10 days for an oak frame with SIPs wraparound). Other timesaving bonuses include pre-cut door and window openings (much like with timber frame).
Build speed: Can be even faster than conventional timber frame on site, but prefabrication of panels takes around 10 to 12 weeks.
Cost: Can be around 15 per cent more than a standard timber frame up front, but you’ll save on labour costs and heating bills.
SIPs Pros
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Oak frame is a historic structural system that remains as popular as ever amongst today’s self builders. The characteristic warmth and visual charm of oak works well in both traditional and contemporary builds. What’s more, many oak frame suppliers now provide a bespoke architectural service, meaning that homeowners can enjoy a seamless design and build process.
CASE STUDY Woodland oak frame homeLong-time collaborators Oakwrights and PJT Design worked together to create this spectacular oak frame home in the Essex countryside. The house features a H-shaped floorplan, with the central entrance projecting out from the rest of the build for a stunning, triple-ridge roof.
At design stage, Oakwrights produced a full 3D virtual tour, so the owners could assess the layout and flow between rooms and get a real sense of what the oak frame home would look like. The house features exposed oak details throughout, paired with wide spans of heritage-style glazing to create a timeless interior scheme.
“Hedgerows features many of my signature design details, such as large oak overhangs/verandas and slimline aluminium joinery from Kloeber – a blend I feel pairs beautifully with the oak frame from Oakwrights. Kloeber actually created this product specifically for Hedgerows and it really ticks all the right boxes architecturally,” says Pete Tonks, architectural designer at PJT Design. Photos: Mark Watts |
Although this structural system and method of construction typically adds roughly 10% to structural costs, you can still build an impressive oak frame home on a range of budgets with carefully considered design.
For the frame to meet modern performance standards, it is usually encapsulated to create a highly efficient thermal envelope. This might be done with SIPs or another pre-insulated panel system.
Oak Frame Pros
Oak Frame Cons
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There are other options to the main contenders for your new home, namely systems that use largely natural materials.
Need more advice about different structural systems?Build It’s Self Build Virtual Training will give you the detailed know-how to successfully realise your dream home. Our interactive courses are presented by Build It’s expert contributors and designed to give you the key nuggets of knowledge you need – all from the comfort of your own home. Covering everything from finding land to planning permission and design, our courses take place online and allow for audience participation and experience sharing. Use the code TWENTY for 20% off. |
Featured image: Oakwrights
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