A Home in a Week: Sterling OSB Used in Innovative Prototype
If you consider all that can be achieved in a week, building a home from start to finish may not make your list. That could soon change following the rapid assembly of a two-bedroom prototype home in Inverness, Scotland, between November 17 and 23, 2025. Completed in just one week, the prefabricated housing pilot clearly demonstrates how our SterlingOSB Zero supports efficient, high-quality construction.
The build is part of a collaboration between our Scottish team, MAKAR Developments and 27 other regional suppliers. MAKAR, which constructs around 100 units per year, is located near our Inverness OSB site. Our relationship with MAKAR has developed since the sales team hosted them for a site tour earlier this year, giving them the opportunity to meet the team and learn more about the net-zero SterlingOSB Zero OSB3, which they used for their prototype.
“This prototype home is aimed towards the ‘affordable’ market and designed to enable housing associations and the social housing sector to deliver sustainable homes that are comfortable to live in, affordable to build and cost less to heat/run,” said Nigel Morris, National Sales Manager.
“Sterling OSB is used in prefabricated cassettes (panels), which help to improve energy performance by reducing air leakage (heat loss) through the building fabric and walls. Our product was selected following third-party air leakage performance tests, commissioned by MAKAR, which demonstrated our product outperformed competitors.”
SterlingOSB Zero OSB3 airtight performance
MAKAR recently commissioned independent third-party testing on three market-leading OSB brands. The results show that not all OSB products perform the same in terms of airtightness — some allow significantly more air leakage than others. Choosing a more airtight OSB can make a substantial difference in reducing energy loss in a home. This is especially important because U.K. Building Regulations require a well sealed building envelope. In a typical U.K. home, draughts and air leakage can account for around 15–30 per cent of total heat loss. By using more airtight OSB in our closed panels, MAKAR homes retain heat more effectively, leading to lower energy bills and less wasted energy.
Build progress
Work started on Monday morning, and within the first two hours, all wall panels were in position. By Tuesday afternoon, the attic and roof panels were installed, and the crane was already off-site. With the main structure standing, the team sealed the building and completed the internal walls and floors.
By the end of the week, the home was wind- and watertight. Windows, doors, roof coverings and solar panels were all in place. Compared with the seven to ten months typically required for a traditional house, this one-week turnaround demonstrates what’s possible when design, local manufacturing and materials all work together.
“For West Fraser, the project provides a valuable opportunity to see Sterling OSB Zero OSB3 used in a real-world demonstration of precision manufacturing and low-carbon building. These findings underline the importance for us of providing products that directly contribute to better-performing, more energy-efficient homes.”
Callum T., Quality and Process Engineer
An external organization will collect data on this prototype over 15 months. The home will generate data on cost, build speed, air tightness and thermal performance, which will help inform future affordable housing developments.
With the U.K. government setting an ambitious target of 1.5 million new homes over the next five years and encouraging developers to integrate sustainable materials, such as wood-based building products, into new builds, there may be greater opportunities for prefabricated homes using OSB in the future.
From prefab to finished
Check out the MAKAR Prototype Home Assembly video below to see the prototype build from start to finish.
