Fully certified in 2014 by the Passive House Institute, this charming Passive House was built to the “Arts and Crafts” architectural aesthetic that is synonymous with the local area. The site lends itself to good passive house design with mature tall trees to the north and clear open skies’ to the south, perfectly harnessing the sun’s energy daily.
A timber frame provides the shell of this structure, with widely available insulations filling its core. It has then been made air tight along with an additional layer of internal insulation. The outer skin is a simple heavyweight concrete block, complete with a silicone based dyed render. Metal webbed joists were employed to distribute the ventilation system and normal services. Among some of its key features, the house can boast a central vacuum system, a rain water harvester and even an electric Aga cooker showing that these features can easily be incorporated into Passive House design.
As result of the high efficiency MHRV, triple glazing and a fastidious attention to thermal bridging, this house has met both the Space Heating and Heat Load standards set by the Passive House Institute.
Over the last 3 years that the house has been fully functioning, the occupants are happy to share that they have been experiencing annual heating and hot water bills of approximately £200 per year. Yet more proof that the Passive House standard simply works – providing a warm home with a great indoor air quality for minimal running cost.
