FEATURE PASSIVHAUS DESIGN
Low Carbon Living With Beattie Passive having long been an exponent of Passivhaus design in the UK, we asked them a few questions about the importance of the standard to the future of sustainable homes in the UK.
P
assivhaus is a fabric first approach to construction. By combining a highly insulated structure with limited to no thermal bridges, triple-glazed, gas filled Passivhaus
What has driven the recent Beattie Passive Norwich factory expansion and investment into Haus4?
windows and heat recovery ventilation, a very
“Our Haus4 range was initially designed as a high-quality, highly
thermally efficient and high-performance home is delivered. With
flexible solution to the UK’s homelessness problem. The worsening
a fabric first approach it is very simple and achievable to reach net
situation of UK homelessness combined with the greater impetus to
zero emissions with the addition of 2.5kw PVs and air source heat
get homeless people off the street in the wake of the Coronavirus
pumps for hot water.
pandemic, we have seen demand for our Haus4 range skyrocket. In order to facilitate this demand, we have expanded into significantly
The Passivhaus standard is still considered an expensive route to an energy efficient building – what can be changed to alter that perception? “Whilst it used to be the case that building Passivhaus required a higher initial investment than traditional build, a recent report by Derek Gough Associates concluded that in some cases it is actually cheaper to build Passivhaus than it is to build a traditional build. It is
larger premises and taken on an additional 70+ staff and have immediately begun work on 150 modular pods for clients across the UK.
The Haus4 range delivers both the exceptional performance of Passivhaus and the quality of a Beattie Passive build. How is Haus4 different from a standard Beattie Passive house build?
critical to look at the long term benefits and the lifetime cost analysis
None. Both the Haus4 product and a more ‘traditional’ Beattie
to really compare the costs and benefits of building Passivhaus, not
Passive build are built to the same high standard using the same
just considering energy savings but also the costs of maintenance and
patented timber frame build system, and are tested just as stringently
any future upgrade requirements of traditional build to achieve zero
upon completion, so in that sense there is no difference in quality
carbon.”
and performance. The difference comes in their purpose. The Haus4
Timber Construction Magazine
Winter 2020
34
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