Passivhaus (Passive House) has become the internationally acknowledged standard for sustainable architecture. The first Passivhaus was built in Germany in 1991 and Passivhaus now extends across every continent with over 30,000 completed buildings to date, covering all building types from houses to factories and even renovations to existing buildings.
Comfortable
Passivhaus buildings are extremely well insulated with triple glazed windows which keeps in the warmth, in the winter and the undesirable heat out in the summer so the interior is kept the same pleasant temperature all year round. The air in a Passivhaus never gets stale or stuffy because the ventilation system provides plentiful fresh, pollen and dust free air, meaning a comfortable living environment.
Low energy
Energy consumption is reduced by around 80-90% compared to a conventional building and Passivhaus buildings perform as designed, unlike buildings in the UK which can use twice as much energy as predicted!
Passive heating
Passivhaus buildings are heated passively by capturing the heat of the sun and trapping heat from internal sources such as people and electrical appliances. So little energy is required that Passivhaus buildings do not require a conventional heating system resulting in a significant cost saving. People joke that you can heat your Passivhaus for the winter simply by throwing a party!
Money saving
Passivhaus buildings do cost slightly more to build than conventional buildings but this is far outweighed by the improvement in comfort and in the long term, the huge savings in utility bills.
Design versatility
The Passivhaus Standard is a quality standard and does not dictate a particular method of construction, so architects are free to design according to their own preferences be that solid construction, wood, composite or even straw bales!
Passive House Retrofit
Passivhaus principals can be applied to a renovation project simply to improve the performance of the project or as a full Passivhaus Retrofit to achieve certification.
What do we offer?
We include Passivhaus principles in everything we do to improve your building’s performance through good design but can also take projects through to certification under the Passivhaus Standard.
