House construction: technologies, cost and engineer's advice

In this section we share what drives the cost of house construction: real estimates for specific projects, and a comparison of materials and technologies. These are conclusions from our own sites, not textbook theory.

We compare the cost of building houses in aerated concrete, ceramic block, timber frame and SIP panels. We point out where the cost of a house can be reduced — and state honestly what you should not save on.

Energy-efficient house construction

We explain how to build an energy-saving house on a sensible budget and which points are decisive when constructing warm houses. For super-efficient passive houses and the latest technologies, see the Energy saving section.

Active House

Since 2018 we design and build active houses to the Belgian Active House standard for sustainable building. Such a house provides comfort and a healthy climate, saves energy on heating and cooling, and generates it from renewable sources. It is built from ecological, certified materials that are easy to recycle, and we treat drinking-water use responsibly.

How to build a house: technologies and materials

Over more than 10 years we have gathered a large base of observations on what determines the cost of a house and tested different construction technologies. If the goal is to build with your own hands on a minimal budget, look at the timber frame. If you need an efficient house and a fast move-in, SIP panels work well. And if you want reinforced-concrete floors, build with aerated concrete. In these sections we break down the construction of different house types and speak honestly about the risks and the fine points of the building process.

Key information on the cost of houses built to our ready-made projects is collected in the cost estimate subsection.

Determining the cost of house construction

Using our data, you can estimate the cost of your planned construction yourself. We publish photographs from our own sites and real estimates. If it is hard to find your way around or you cannot find an analogue of your project, contact us — we will help you make sense of it and prepare a benchmark estimate for building a house.

Author supervision and consulting

We provide author supervision over construction to make sure the work matches the design decisions — this is especially important for energy-saving houses, where a mistake on site is costly. For clients in Ukraine we also build to our project with trusted site managers we work closely with; internationally we consult on construction and review of your builder's work.

Construction and author supervision are led by Pavlo Biriukovych — a Certified Passive House Designer and Certified Passive House Tradesperson in the Passive House Institute register. Call: +380503582282, +380975153839.

What a ready-made house project for construction includes

Catalogue of ready-made house plans

All our house design services