Several offsite innovations have recently emerged from the Highlands and Islands, making them the lesser-known leaders of the offsite manufacturing sector
The Highlands and Islands have demonstrated many UK-first innovations in the last five years. To showcase and accelerate these innovations, the Make it Smart HUB has been formed: a hub for construction companies in the Scottish Highlands and Islands to work together. We believe in collaboration between companies and between regions, so this Hub will act as the driver for collaboration in the north of Scotland.
The Highlands and Islands have shown themselves to be leading innovators in modern methods of construction, specifically offsite manufacture, so here are some examples of their progress in prefabrication, timber structures and new industrial technologies.
Sylvan Stuart & timber roof truss systems
In 2017, Sylvan Stuart brought a new perspective to the way we could build houses. They aimed to make affordable, carbon efficient housing using a new and ambitious roof truss—a structural timber product normally only used for a roof. However, this project prototyped the redesign of a roof truss so that it extended into a superstructure that enveloped the entire house: floors, walls and roof. Instead of building them in separate phases, they were manufactured to become one. This connected the entire house’s foundational structure, prefabricated offsite before onsite assembly.
It also allowed for heavy insulation in the thick walls, faster build times and minimal work onsite. 2 operatives can erect the structure.
This project, the Integra House, is a unique rethink of design and manufacturing methods. It is a building-changing innovation that could alter how we design certain homes. Sylvan Stuart, from Old Rayne, Aberdeenshire, is a strong example of how a business from a small village can innovate in a large way with new designs and ideas.
Russwood & external timber cladding
In 2015 Russwood and CSIC collaborated to test Scotlarch—a specially coated external timber cladding that provided more attractive, consistent, and longer-lasting weather protection.
They combined two overseas products together for the first time: a Swedish silicate timber coating and a European clip, fastener, and spacer system. The innovative combination improved the cladding’s ventilation and fixing elements, reducing the timber’s risk of moisture ingress, decay and fungi. They then incorporated this with locally sourced Larch to create their new product: Scotlarch. This project laid the groundwork for improved externally clad timber performance and their later exploration into offsite timber cladding.
Following this success, in 2019 Russwood prototyped and tested a new offsite modular timber cladding system. Understood to be the first modular offsite wall panel system made from timber, it delivered an easy to install and sustainable alternative to composite and metal cladding panels, manufactured in a factory and installed in completed panels on site.
These UK-first products evolved from Russwood’s base at Newtonmore in the Cairngorms. The innovations have helped drive the use of sustainable, locally sourced materials and broadened the opportunity to use improved offsite timber cladding systems in construction.
Heb Homes & Kit Homes
Heb Homes and their sister company Dualchas have been delivering beautiful and thermally efficient kit houses across the Highlands.
The architect-designed kit houses are designed and prefabricated in a factory and delivered to site for assembly. The bespoke housing is built to order, and clients choose their desired design online. This approach makes it possible for customers to purchase the house they want from a digital catalogue and have it delivered and erected on their own land. Heb Homes’ products are compact, clean and designed to fit into their rural surroundings.
The homes can be made using cross-laminated timber (CLT) or structural insulated panels (SIPs) and have also featured in Dundee’s V&A design museum.
Robertson Group Limited & Robot Assembly
Established in Elgin in 1966, Robertson built its business in the Highlands before expanding its reach across all of Scotland and Northern England. One of the largest offsite manufacturers in the UK, Robertson was very proud to be awarded CN Contractor of The Year for businesses with a turnover greater than £500m in 2019. The Robertson Timber Engineering offsite manufacturing plant is based in Elgin with capacity to deliver across the UK.
In 2018, along with Stewart Milne Group, they won investment through CSIC’s Advanced Timber Products Innovation Challenge. They were exploring the opportunity to move away from manual, labour intensive window fitting and automate it using an industrial robot. CSIC undertook testing with their own industrial robotic cell as a proof of concept of this.
To install the windows in timber-framed panels, the robot uses end-effectors to accurately pick, place and fix. This is a huge innovation in the sector that could change construction, and its offsite manufacturing potential, forever. Automating processes like this—as seen in other industries—can significantly increase output, reduce risks and add manufacturing value. The construction industry needs to do things differently to address the housing crisis and skilled labour shortage. The use of robotics in offsite timber manufacturing can help to tackle this.
This is an exciting prospect for offsite timber construction and a key developer in the Highlands and Islands is helping drive its viability.
Offsite Solutions Scotland
Offsite Solutions Scotland is a co-operative of 10 offsite manufacturing and installation companies across Scotland. Three organisations hail from the Highlands and Islands (Carbon Dynamic, Norscot and MAKAR), alongside larger developers such as Robertson Group. They have been transforming people’s lives, homes and communities with world-leading offsite timber solutions, increasing their overall ability to deliver large scale offsite projects.
The overarching goal is to make Scotland the centre of excellence for offsite manufacturing. However, with the innovation seen from these regional companies, they are also ensuring the Highlands and Islands remain a global centre of innovative modern methods of construction as well.
Going forward
The Highlands and Islands are helping lead the way in various parts of offsite manufacture—even if the industry might not know it. We believe CSIC’c Make it Smart HUB, created in partnership with Inverness College, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise, will help accelerate this even further.
Learn more about how your company or organisation can benefit from the new Make it Smart HUB. Join the initiative
