What the Builder Says

No Going Back
Established just over 11 years ago, Ellier Developments directly employs 25 staff and works mainly in the area of residential development. It is currently completing the development of 650 high-density timber framed units in 'Hunter's Wood', just off the Ballycullen Road on Dublin's southside. This is one successful Irish construction company that has made the switch from masonry to timber frame and is now reaping a myriad of resulting benefits.

Prior to this development, which began in 2001, Ellier Developments had been masonry builders, nearing the completion of 600 masonry units in Woodstown Village, Dublin 16.

"Demand was such that every time we launched a new phase, we were selling more quickly than we could build", explains John Craig, the company's Director of Construction. "As we neared the end of the final phase, word in the industry was that timber frame was a more efficient way to build. So, as an experiment, we took the last ten standard houses - five semi-detached units - built them in timber frame and monitored the reaction with our selling agents.

It came as a surprise to us that just one client made any remark about the difference - and his reaction was one of delight because he had recently read an article about the benefits of timber frame!"