Build a Passivhaus out of straw!
ModCell®, a Bristol based company, have been working closely with researchers from the University of Bath’s Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering on their straw panel technology as part of a £1.3million research project.
They revealed at Ecobuild 2015, that the strawbale/ timber frame build system is the 1st Passivhaus certified straw bale component given the internationally recognised seal of approval from Passive House Institute.
The Passivhaus accreditation covers whole building designs using the ModCell® design technology. There are now 26 standard construction details allowing whole building envelopes to be designed using the ModCell system including basement, wall and roof intersections as well as ceiling, partition and window details that can be used across Europe.
Oliver Style of Progetic worked closely with ModCell®, helping to develop the construction details for the Passive House Institute certified panels. It has also received BM Trada’s Q mark certification which recognises the quality of a construction method.
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We are delighted to have secured the world’s first Passivhaus Component Certifications for straw bale construction…Our journey towards building a low-carbon, affordable and sustainable future just got easier. Craig White, Director at White Design and ModCell
ModCell® Core + meets the demanding PassivHaus standards.
- External battens are replaced with 40mm of wood fibre breather/render board.
- The wood fibre board then has a thin coat breathable render system applied. Both the wood fibre and render is applied onsite.
- All panels are located with a tolerance gap between them and sealed using compressible tapes.
- Weathering details vary from project to project and are developed by ModCell® in conjunction with the project designer.
- ModCell® panels can be lifted into position on site using a telescopic arm or crane.
- The mass of the largest ModCell® panel is 1.7 tonnes.
- Panels are sealed using a range of airtight tapes.
PHT Patron member, Ecology Building Society, is now able to consider mortgages on homes built using the ModCell® system.
The construction sector must reduce its energy consumption by 50% and its carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, so radical changes are needed to the way we approach house building. Straw is a low-cost and widely available food co-product that offers real potential for ultra-low carbon housing throughout the UK. Professor Pete Walker, Head of the Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering, University of Bath ~ Guardian article - Straw houses: builders hope past will inspire greener, warmer future
The Shirehampton project in Bristol, recently featured on the BBC, is a development of 7 homes that was designed using passivhaus principles, but is not a PassivHaus certified project or utilising ModCell® Core +.
Potential upcoming projects using ModCell® Core + aiming to acheive Passivhaus certification:
- A private house in Scotland
- A client option as part of a custom build pilot scheme in Cornwall with Igloo Regeneration
- A Passivhaus certified option offered by BaleHaus Custom Homes developed between White Design Cadfan and ModCell.
Watch this space!
Further Information:
26th March 2015
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