Lambeth Council embraces Passivhaus homes

Lambeth council is developing a plan to build new affordable homes in the borough after a long period of inactivity. After being prompted by the design architects, Anne Thorne Architects, the Passivhaus Standard forms part of Lambeth Council's early consideration of what will be their adopted social housing specification for energy-efficiency going forward.

Front elevations and street view, Akerman Road

The £1.9m scheme at Akerman Road is in a Conservation Area and provides the first new-build social housing built by Lambeth council for ten years. The development consists of:

• A new build end of terrace providing 3 x 4-bed family houses to a derelict infill site that has been vacant since WW2 bomb damage. The homes meet Passivhaus Standard with a timber-frame construction using the Passivhaus homes PH15 system and will be sold on the open market.
• Restoration of the former Akerman Hostel providing 6 new homes for social rent. The six flats are a major sustainable, low carbon refurbishment initiative which demonstrates realistic aspirations to reduce energy from existing buildings by 70-80%

 

Key Stats for newbuild meeting Passivhaus TFA 371m²  Form Factor 1.8 Completed  2016 Occupied Feb 2017

 

This project is the first collaborative project for PHT member 15-40 Architecture. The design is by Anne Thorne Architects. Passivhaus Store completed the working drawings to construct the PH15 System. The 6 retrofit flats have been detailed by Prewett Bizley Architects.

Passivhaus Store provided the Passivhaus certified ventilation systems and Katzbeck windows for both parts of the project. Finishes are a mix of lime render, brick entrance porches, brick slips and reconstituted slate roofs.

 

This is an imaginative scheme that marries old and new, protects Lambeth’s heritage and secures badly needed homes for local people. “Projects like Akerman Road and St Oswald’s Place demonstrate how we are using space and imagination to build more homes at social rents across Lambeth.

Cllr Matthew Bennett, Cabinet member for Housing

 

 

Passivhaus Performance

Predicted Heating Demand	15 kWh/m²a
Predicted Heating load	9 W/m²
Predicted Primary Energy Demand	103 kWh/m²a
U-values	Roof 0.108, Walls 0.113, Floor 0.109, Windows (glazing) 0.7 (frame) 1.08
Window G-values	0.37
Actual Airtightness	0.4 ach (n50ACH@50pascals)
Shading Strategy	Higher g-value glass, night cooling, and demand control MVHR are used. Trees on site provide some natural shading.

 

Key team Client: Lambeth Council Architects: 15-40 Architecture, Passivhaus design Anne Thorne Architects, retrofit detailing Prewett Bizley Architects Consultants: Alan Clarke Associates Contractor: Passivhaus Homes & Sandwood Construction Ltd Structural Engineer: Ellis & Moore (ground) Chris Wright Associates (frame) Certifier: WARM

 

We realise that there are many positive attributes to the scheme including reinforcing and defining the street frontage with terraced buildings of similar plot widths to the existing terrace. Based on a number of other successful schemes by Anne Thorne Architects in the borough the Urban Design Officer is confident that the development will be of a very high-quality architecture and very distinctive.

Urban Design Officer, London Borough of Lambeth

 

Further Information

15-40 Architecture

South London scheme delivers better health for residents -  Passivhaus Plus, December 2017

www.labmonline.co.uk

 

30th March 2017

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