Issue 36 - passivehouseplus.ie

Do your walls behave like a Jaffa Cake?

Toby Cambray writes on the many lessons that the inimitable biscuit cake can teach us about how building materials deal with moisture.

Up with the lark

Lark Rise is an elegant new passive house in rural Buckinghamshire designed by bere:architects, but it is more than ‘just’ a passive house. Because it produces and stores so much of its own energy through on-site solar power, it is a certified passive house ‘plus’, and in this article, its architect Justin Bere explains how dwellings like this can play a key role in decarbonising our economies and societies in the coming decades.

Inside the UK’s largest passive school

With a decade of experience designing primary schools to the passive house standard under their belt, Architype have now designed the UK’s first passive secondary school — and all of the evidence suggests there is no better way to ensure a healthy, comfortable environment that is supremely conducive to learning.

New England rebel - Cork passive house with Vermont roots

A stunning new passive house in Cork breaks the conventions of passive house form with a design that manages to be both dramatic yet discreet at the same time, inspired by a US project to contort itself beautifully into its steeply sloping site.

A precursor to the passive house

In his latest column on the development of passive and solar buildings in the 20th century, Dr Marc O’Riain looks at what might be considered an early prototype in the development of passive houses: the 1974 Philips Experimental House.

International - Issue 36

This issue features a passive house ‘plus’ certified three-storey office building in Strasbourg, France.

Is affordable housing a policy blind spot?

Dublin City Council built just 45 social housing units in 2019. In his latest column, Mel Reynolds analyses the state’s surprising reluctance to build its own homes.

New book aims to demystify passive house design

The second edition of the book Understanding Passivhaus by Emma Walshaw of First In Architecture is out now. The book is designed to provide a brief, clear and complete guide to building a passive home.

NuWave Sensors launches CO2 monitor for schools

NuWave Sensors, developers of smart air quality sensors designed to continuously monitor airborne contaminants in industrial and commercial environments, has unveiled a new carbon dioxide sensor that allows schools to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, while also avoiding energy waste.

Tegral slates adopt new brand name Cedral

Tegral, the Irish manufacturer of fibre cement roof slates, will now fall under the new Etex Ireland brand, while its classic roof slates will be marketed under the brand name Cedral.

NOVUS Windows announce partnership with Idealcombi

NOVUS Windows have announced a new partnership with Idealcombi A/S, the largest window manufacturer in Denmark with over 100,000 square metres of production facilities.

BERCerts.ie offering ventilation validation

Leading energy assessment experts BERCerts.ie are now offering ventilation validation services under Part F of the building regulations after two of the company’s employees were added to the NSAI list of registered ventilation validators.

New heat pumps and pellet stoves from Waterford Stanley

Waterford Stanley has announced it latest line-up of renewable heating products, comprising air-to-water heat pumps, and room and central heating pellet stoves designed to meet Ecodesign 2022, the new European standard for lowering emissions from wood burning and multi-fuel stoves.

Mannok announces new product names after rebrand

The rebrand from Quinn to Mannok was announced in September, with the official name change completed on 16 November, marking a major milestone for the company on a rebrand journey which will take up to 12 months to fully complete.

Amvic Ireland launches passive standard ICF system

Amvic Ireland, long-known for its dual-insulated concrete formwork (ICF), has announced the launch of its new ultra-energy efficient wall system for passive-standard buildings.

Bringing buildings into the circular economy

Embodied carbon is the next great challenge for the building sector. For the group’s latest update, Marion Jammet of the Irish Green Building Council discusses initiatives underway at both Irish and European level to further cut the carbon footprint of the built environment.

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