Berry Hill Lake Cabin: Nellysford, VA
Nellysford, Virginia
Set on 250 wooded acres in the Virginia mountains overlooking a private two-acre lake, Berry Hill Lake is a four-bedroom mountain retreat designed around the landscape. Behind its board-and-batten siding, stonework, vaulted ceilings, and warm wood finishes is a Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) building envelope made with 6 1/2-inch SIP walls and 10 1/4-inch SIP roof panels.
The home’s multiple roof pitches, dormers, large chimney gable, and four intersecting rooflines made precision especially important. As the design evolved, ACME used 3D modeling to translate the plans into a panel package that could be precision pre-cut at our facility before arriving on site. The four rooflines came together without additional field cuts, reducing on-site adjustments and helping framing move quickly. With the SIP walls and roof forming a continuous insulated envelope, the home also benefits from the energy efficiency and airtightness that make SIPs well suited for year-round mountain living.
Framing was nearly complete in about two weeks, bringing a complicated design together faster while preserving the vaulted ceilings and open spaces that make the home feel connected to its surroundings. Today, Berry Hill Lake is a private mountain getaway available for overnight stays, with the SIP building envelope working quietly behind everything guests see and experience.
“We spend every weekend up here now. Even in a February cold snap, the kids are running around in socks. It just does not feel like a cabin that should be this comfortable.” — The Hollis Family, homeowners
At a Glance
Project Details
| Location | Nellysford, Virginia |
| Project Type | Residential |
| Builder | |
| Architect | |
| Size | 2,400 sq. ft. |
| SIP Application | |
| Completion | |
| SIP Benefits | Precision for a complex design, faster framing, continuous insulated building envelope, vaulted ceiling design, less onsite cutting & adjustment |
Why SIPs, Here
- ✓ A tighter building envelope means less energy used to heat and cool it, winter and summer alike.
- ✓ Panels arrive cut to spec and go up fast, so the home was closed in before the weather turned.
- ✓ Less energy used over the life of the home means less carbon produced, for this family and the next one who lives here.
Ready to talk through your project?
If you're planning a build and want to know what a SIP home will actually feel like for your family, in your climate, on your lot, we're glad to walk through it with you.