Of all the characteristics of low energy dwelling design in the UK, the most emotive of all seems to be the ventilation strategy. The combination of an apparently innate hostility towards mechanical ventilation and a bloody-minded determination to live in draughty buildings has seen the UK fall way behind the likes of Germany, Scandinavia or Canada when it comes to understanding best practice in the design and installation of heat recovery ventilation. Perhaps tarnished by stories of [...]

It’s a common misconception in the UK that achieving the Passivhaus standard is simply a matter of matching a few increasingly familiar yet often misunderstood principles. The usual culprits are “U-values of 0.15 W/m2K, triple-glazed windows, an airtightness of 1.0, heat recovery ventilation . . .” and so on. “Not too difficult . . .” someone only familiar with the Code might think. Well, think again. Above all, the CEPHD course teaches just how much more [...]

I think my A-level Applied Maths teacher of some 25 years ago would have been pleased with me today, as would my A-level Physics teacher. I suspect some of my tutors from the combined architecture and engineering degree at Bath University back in the late ‘80’s would have felt some measure of satisfaction too. Because today was probably the first day since qualifying as an architect that I really applied my maths and physics knowledge, handwritten equation by handwritten equation, [...]