Downsizers’ Passivhaus marries natural materials with high renewable tech

 

This light and airy Passivhaus was built by a retired couple who wanted to downsize from their awkward older home, to one that would be eco-friendly, comfortable, and work well whatever their future needs.

The successful result is an attractive, warm, modern-looking house. The structure is timber frame with wood-based insulation; the roof meanwhile is basically all PVs, and a heat pump and battery complete the comprehensive renewable set-up, minimising the need to import – and pay for – any grid energy.

Read the article I wrote for  Passive House Plus magazine here.

Straw-build Herefordshire Passivhaus – one of my favourite case studies!

black coloured timber clad wall with shaded window and pot plants in front
Detail of the charred cedar facade showing lowered sunshade for summer comfort. Photo: Juraj Mikurcik

Juraj Mikurcik’s beautiful little self-build Passivhaus is a house that I can totally imagine living in myself, and absolutely loving. Continue reading “Straw-build Herefordshire Passivhaus – one of my favourite case studies!”

Preston Retrofit Disaster

An external insulation contract in Preston, run under a government energy saving scheme five years ago went horribly wrong. Up to 390 homes were affected with water penetration, mould and damp.

Four years on the problems, some of them severe, have only been rectified for some of the affected households. Occupants, many elderly and on low incomes, have in some cases reportedly been forced to pay for repairs themselves. Continue reading “Preston Retrofit Disaster”

Uni teaching block launches large Passivhaus in the UK

Case studies for Passive House Plus: new build

UK’s largest passive building opens to 2,400 students and staff

University of Leicester – the new Centre for Medicine

Completed early this year, the new Centre for Medicine at the University of Leicester is by far the largest single building in the UK to meet the passive house standard — and not surprisingly, its design and construction posed tough new challenges on how to meet the rigorous low energy standard on such a large, complicated building. December 2016

 

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A healthy retrofit scheme for London residents

The original houses, with the new build homes beyond

A sensitive development of social housing in Lambeth combines three new passive houses with six low energy flats carefully created inside an old Victorian terrace. With the emphasis on good indoor air quality, residents are already reporting improvements in health & well-being since moving from their old accommodation.

 

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Community deep retrofit

Working with design consultancy URBED, Manchester-based community energy group Carbon Co-op has pioneered a way of supporting ‘able-to-pay’ homeowners to invest in making their homes warmer and more comfortable – while reducing their energy use by around half.

By upgrading the fabric of homes and adding PV panels, cuts of 40-60% or more were made in  energy consumption and emissions and £1,000/year was knocked off bills, at a level of capital spending that homeowners were willing and able to invest. Continue reading “Community deep retrofit”

Timber building case studies

A series of around 30 illustrated case studies of buildings constructed with home-grown UK, and in particular, Welsh timber. Some lovely buildings, ranging from very simple roundwood constructions and solid traditional oak frames, through to much more contemporary styles and high-peformance Passivahaus buildings.

View the case studies here: Homegrown timber in construction: case studies

Produced for Woodknowledge Wales

Archive keeps its cool the Passivhaus way

Hereford archive chooses passive preservation

Hereford County Archive

Safeguarding historic documents and other artefacts requires super-stable environmental conditions. This has usually been achieved by using masses of expensive and energy-hogging heating and cooling plant, but a new approach for Herefordshire Council used the passive house approach to conserve energy, money — and the county’s precious historical archives. Nov 2015

 

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‘Icebox’ modern house gets cosy makeover

1960s ‘icebox’ transformed into warm and bright eco home

Generous insulation behind timber boards on this 60s retrofit

 

A deep retrofit of this 1960s block-built home turned it into a modern ultra low-energy home that emphasises wood, light and natural materials. Aug 2016

 

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