Passivhaus
Minimising energy consumption, Maximising thermal comfort
ECD promote the Passivhaus Standard because it provides better quality, more comfortable buildings that minimise energy use and close the gap between ‘as designed’ and ‘as built’ performance’
Passivhaus buildings provide a high level of occupant comfort while using very little energy for heating and cooling. They are built with meticulous attention to detail, and rigorous design and construction. These principles were developed by the Passivhaus Institute in Germany, and can be certified through a quality assurance process.
Passivhaus buildings have a 75% reduction in space heating requirements, compared to standard practice for UK new build. The Passivhaus standard therefore provides the construction and development industry a robust methodology for achieving the carbon reductions targets set by the UK Government. Passivhaus also applies to retrofit projects, realising similar savings in space heating requirements through the application of its EnerPHit Standard.
Evidence and feedback to date shows that Passivhaus buildings perform as predicted. This is an important achievement given the discrepancy between design aspiration and as-built performance of many new buildings in the UK can be as much as 50-100% (performance gap).
To achieve the Passivhaus Standard in the UK typically involves:
- Accurate design modelling using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP)
- Very high levels of insulation
- High-performance windows with insulated frames
- Airtight building fabric
- 'Thermal bridge free' construction
- Mechanical ventilation system with highly efficient heat recovery
At ECD Architects, we have an in-house team of Certified Passivhaus Designers (CEPHD) who have worked on projects such as:
- Wilmcote House (Refurbishment - Housing / EnerPHit)
- Thornhill School (New build - Education)
- Conic Way, Drymen (New build - Housing)
- Ryedene, Basildon (New build - Housing)
- Ladyfields, Loughton (New build - Housing)
- Chequers B, Epping Forest (New build - Housing)
ECD Architects were a founding partner of the Passivhaus Trust.
Sustainability
ECD Architects has been a pioneer in Sustainable Design for over 40 years. Our objective is to design high quality sustainable buildings that have a positive impact on their community and their environment.
About Us
An overview of who we are and what we do
Retrofit
Decarbonising existing buildings
New Build
Shaping the environment with beautiful design
