International selection - issue 12
This issue’s international selection features an embassy in Indonesia, an educational building in South Korea, an experimental solar-powered house in France, and social housing in Philadelphia.
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Mechanical ventilation and IAQ - what the evidence reveals
As previously revealed in Passive House Plus, the evidence appears to indicate that natural ventilation systems don’t adequately ventilate our homes. But does mechanical ventilation perform any better?
Private Enerphit homes come to London rental market
Grosvenor’s upgrade of two historic properties in Belgravia brings high-end passive housing to Westminster.
Ireland’s first fully passive retrofit
This 1960s Galway home was turned into a passive house - and is costing just €55 per year to heat.
Norfolk social housing hits passive for standard costs
Twelve units in Great Yarmouth deliver low energy bills and comfort for new tenants using patented timber frame system.
New London classroom brings passive comfort to school prefabs
PassivClass, a new passive-certified modular classroom in London, aims to end the days of cold and draughty school prefabs – including a structure made from reclaimed materials.
Red brick Surrey home becomes an unintentional passive house
The team behind this Surrey home intended to use it as a test-bed for passive house design and construction, without necessarily expecting to achieve certification. But as the house neared completion, they realised that they were within touching distance of the coveted low energy standard.
Ecological Lake District passive house generates its own electricity
This new home in Cumbria not only meets the passive house standard, it embraces natural and recycled materials and produces its own electricity — and achieved it all on a ‘shoestring’ budget.
Artfully crafted Tyrone passive house
This new Dungannon home shuns conventional passive house design and embraces the late 19th century Arts and Crafts movement.
Passive research centre acts as living showcase for green tech
A new research centre in Northern Ireland could stake a claim as being one of the greenest buildings on these islands. Not only is it passive, it boasts a whole suite of ecological features, and aims to be at the cutting edge in the research and development of new sustainable and renewable technologies.
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The builder's view - why passive house doesn't cost extra
With this passive house in Co Kildare, father-and-son building team Pat and Paul Doran of Pat Doran Construction Ltd prove that meeting the strict low energy standard can be done for even less than a ‘normal’ build – to the tune of a €20,000 reduction in build costs compared to the Department of the Environment’s suggested compliance approach.
International selection - issue 11
This issue’s international selection features a developer-built passive house in Philadelphia, a big new research centre in Frankfurt, a sleek family home in Vienna, and a new low-energy factory in Canada where passive timber buildings will be prefabricated.
UK's first Enerphit, six years on
Six years after it was completed, Passive House Plus takes a look at a pioneering low energy upgrade that went on to become the UK’s first certified Enerphit project, to find out how it has performed — and what lessons have been learned.
Fabric first retrofit rejuvenates Dublin social housing
Built in the 1970s, Rochestown House was a cramped, cold and damp social housing block in Sallynoggin, Co Dublin that has now been completely transformed, thanks to a deep energy retrofit inspired by passive house principles.