Newbattle Housing – Passivhaus Consultancy

ECD are working as Passivhaus consultants on this scheme which is to deliver 90 new homes for Midlothian Council, supporting the architect, Smith Scott Mullan. The low-density requirements of the site means that the development form factor, that of short terraces and semi-detached houses, is not as efficient as some larger-scale developments. As a result, the building fabric needs to work harder to meet the rigorous demands of the Passivhaus standard. Working as Passivhaus Consultants, it is our role to ensure the design team have the feedback they need for the development to achieve this.

To provide this feedback, we modelled each of the 20 housing blocks individually in the Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP). While there are similarities in design and layouts, there are inevitable variations in surrounding shading, so that the solar gains of each building are slightly different. We have worked closely with the architect and contractor to ensure that the timber frame construction achieves the specified U-values and is free of thermal bridging. Our work includes incorporating psi values from the thermal bridge modelling provided by the energy consultant into the PHPP, ensuring that the model accurately reflects actual heat loss and real-world performance.

During the scheme value engineering phase, we assessed the project proposed changes using the PHPP model. From this, we were able to provide robust, quantitative information on the impact of each option. This ensured that only changes with a neutral or positive effect on energy efficiency were taken forward, maintaining the performance of the scheme.

With the project now underway, we have been conducting site visits to confirm the scheme’s construction aligns with its drawings, that where the specification of what has been installed might differ slightly from that originally designed, we can verify the impact of these changes in the PHPP and advise the design team that any adjustments can be made accordingly. As some of the blocks are now nearing completion, we are working with the certifier for the upload of the required information is uploaded to the certification portal, and the finalisation of PHPP model. Thanks to this close collaboration with the design and construction teams, we are confident that the homes will achieve full Passivhaus certification.

Team:

Midlothian Council – Client
Smith Scott Mullan – Design Architects
ECD Architects – Passivhaus Designers
Carbon Futures – Energy Consultants
Ogilvie Construction – Contractor
Warm – Passivhaus Certifier