At-home learning seems set to continue for a while; for those raising the next generation of building geeks/scientists/informed homeowners, here are some resources that might be useful, compiled by the UK Passivhaus Trust: “Shout-out to all the parents and guardians entertaining and expanding pupils’ minds at home. Many within the construction industry and science sectors are rising to the challenge …
Social housing can be this good
Exeter, in England’s south-west, is blazing a trail for Passive House social housing. Its Chester Long Court, 26 high-quality, affordable homes built to the Passive House standard, has won design awards (along with, I expect, abiding appreciation from those who live in them). The Council’s goal was to create apartments for their over-60s social housing tenants. By downsizing, larger Council homes …
How much more for PH performance? Very little, says UK
This extensive cost study of Passive House projects in the UK shows that for projects that make good choices, the capital cost premium is down to eight per cent. At scale, that premium is projected to drop to four per cent: “The [Passive House] standard in the UK can be achieved now for a modest extra-over cost and this is …
New England delivers PH social housing
Here’s an excellent discussion of the overall benefits to the tenants of this social housing project for low-income tenants in a high-cost area. It’s a six-story building with 98 units in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Plus, it spells out the benefits to society of building right. “In each case, the goal is to give heating and cooling systems very little to do. …
uPVC joinery worth another look
Clients (and their designers) who want high-performance buildings on a limited budget need to consider uPVC windows. Elsewhere, almost every Passive House on a budget will use uPVC joinery, typically white inside and out to maximise performance and minimise cost. Note though that uPVC windows are also available with an aluminium cladding on the exterior face to allow a choice …
Airtightness, explained (plus, see blower doors in action)
Check out these helpful instructional videos on airtightness and air leakage testing. Made in Australia, the general observations about lack of awareness of the importance of airtightness apply here too. This series of three short videos (less than seven minutes each) is produced by Efficiency Matrix, a supplier of products and testings for airtightness. The first video is absolutely worth …
Prefab CLT slashes construction time
This big-budget, single family residence in posh North Vancouver, Canada, benefited from use of 4.5 inch prefabricated cross-laminated timbers (CLT). The structure was erected in a few weeks rather than months, reducing construction costs and exposure to rain—and given Vancouver’s wet climate, that is a significant benefit. Despite three stories of wall-to-wall glass, this is a net-zero energy project. I’m …
Passive House homes hitting headlines in Australia
One of the last projects by a lifetime builder is a certified Passive House he built for himself and his wife, in Bright, Australia. Energy costs currently amount to about $12 a week—but Trevor Chick and Leanne Guy are expecting that will drop to “near-zero” all year-round once the solar panels are installed. Anyone approaching retirement would appreciate that. The …
Radical rethink required for school buildings
Replacing eight schools’ coal-fired boilers with ones that run on biomass, as reported earlier this year, is a good move but it wouldn’t be necessary if our schools weren’t built so badly. Too many students are herded into poorly-designed, badly-constructed school buildings that can create an unhealthy learning environment. They take huge amounts of energy to run and may still …