Passivhaus Superstars

Stand-out Passivhaus projects hit the headlines and our TV screens in 2019, with Goldsmith Street's RIBA Stirling Prize win, and Passivhaus builds explored by Kevin McCloud and Charlie Luxton on Channel 4. Find out more about some of these superstar schemes at London's Futurebuild in March.

Passivhaus buildings offer the highest levels of occupant comfort and health, as well as minimising the energy use and carbon emissions from our built environment. This means lower fuel bills, a healthier planet, and a home that’s comfortable to be in. Some of these projects have recently – and deservedly - been grabbing the headlines, exhibiting quality not only in their energy performance but also across all aspects of their design and build. With quality assurance an integral part of the standard, ensured by the certifcation process, and a level of attention to detail in design that goes above and beyond.what we often see, it's no wonder that Passivhaus projects stand out.

Goldsmith Street (Mikhail Riches) | Max Fordham House (bere:architects) | Far Few Barn (Swann Edwards Architects)

Goldsmith Street (Mikhail Riches), Max Fordham House (bere:architects), Far Few Barn (Swann Edwards Architects)

The Passivhaus Superstars session at Futurebuild, at London's Excel on Wednesday 4 March, will present three exemplar schemes that you may have seen on your TV screens, and fill in some of the behind-the-scenes details that went into making them successes. Join us to delve in to the challenges, opportunities and benefits of delivering to the Passivhaus standard.

Goldsmith Street – winner of the Stirling Prize

Passivhaus became the topic of conversation in the mainstream news when Norwich City Council’s groundbreaking Goldsmith Street development won the 2019 Stirling Prize, the UK’s most prestigious architectural award. Never before has it gone to a social housing project, and this is also the first time it’s been awarded to a Passivhaus. Alan Jones, President of the RIBA, declared as he announced the winner, “the time for words is over - this is an emergency”. In 2020, the Climate Emergency demands that we do everything we can to reach the target of zero carbon emissions, and in the built environment that means reducing demand - Passivhaus is a proven way to do it.

Goldsmith Street will be presented by James Turner, Associate at PHT member Mikhail Riches and the architect in charge of the project.

Far Few Barn – Building the Dream

Far Few Barn, the statement home of Christine and Frank in Cambridgeshire, won planning permission under Paragraph 79, which allows for projects of exceptional quality in otherwise unacceptable locations. It's now a fully certified Passivhaus, and its journey to completion was featured in Channel 4's Building the Dream last summer. While Charlie Luxton at the outset warned that ‘Passivhauses can be costly and time-consuming to build’, in the event it was the choices of landscaping and other enhancements that ballooned the budget. The dramatic struggles the couple faced were more to do with delay in funding, the driving wind and rain of Storm Doris threatening the fledgling shell of the building – and resisting Charlie Luxton’s design advice! How did the Passivhaus-specific features of the build go? Airtightness, insulation, triple glazing and services all seemed to raise no issues. How did they do it?

James Burton of PHT member Swann Edwards Architecture will give us the unseen story.

Max Fordham House – a house of the year

Services and construction may not at first blush seem as enticing as the visible work of the architect – but they’re the hidden heroes of Passivhaus. The healthy indoor air quality of a Passivhaus is guaranteed by the fresh air constantly filtered in at a comfortable temperature by the MVHR (Mechanical Ventliation Heat Recovery System), which engineer Max Fordham describes as ‘the metabolism of the house’. Heat losses are kept under control not only with good insulation and triple glazing, but also by well designed and correctly installed hot and cold water pipework. A good services engineer is therefore vital for the successful delivery of the Standard. Quality of construction, too, is essential, and assured by the certification process - proven by the elimination of the performance gap in certified Passivhaus buildings.

The fourth home shown tonight is Max Fordham House from London, an energy saving home that prevents its windows from losing heat while allowing lots of light into its rooms. Do you think this house will make the #HouseOfTheYear shortlist? @RIBA #GrandDesigns🏠 pic.twitter.com/LoSqLVjkhv
— Grand Designs (@granddesigns) November 6, 2019

Naturally, the home of a pioneering engineer seems the appropriate project in which to take a close look at these hidden heroes of Passivhaus, and so Max Fordham House will be presented by Ali Shaw, senior engineer at PHT member Max Fordham, and contractor Rafael Delimata of PHT member Bow Tie Construction.

It’s a striking achievement by a remarkable man. It represents a really powerful idea – one man’s lifetime of trying to effect change in the built environment. A world of experimentation and a dedication towards low energy Passivhaus living. Now, we are in an age of incontrovertible climate change, and it seems to me that the beauty of this place is magnified by the fact that its time has come.”

Kevin McCloud

Futurebuild 2020 at London's ExCel Centre will confront the Climate Emergency in the context of our built environment, and declares that we need to radically change the ways in which we plan, design, construct and operate our buildings and places. Taking place from 3-5 March at London's ExCel, the show will bring together 27,000 industry influencers and shapers to drive real change.

As well as Passivhaus Superstars, more Passivhaus activities over the three days of the exhibition include two invitation-only breakfast seminars, aimed at Local Authorities and Housing Associations, and at architects, and a panel exploring the Future Homes Standard 2025. See further details here.