Blog: Meet our Passivhaus experts

28 October 2022

Passivhaus provides a standard methodology for design and ambitious build quality, that will ensure the final product meets the low operational energy targets required by Net Zero.

“Understanding the whole life carbon impacts of our projects is a vital part of designing buildings for our net zero future. To do so, we need to consider both the embodied carbon of the materials we use, and the energy used in the operation of those buildings” says Dr Joe Jack Williams.

Andrew Abraham agrees – the best time to embed Passivhaus design is right at the start of a project: “If we are to meet the demands of the Paris Agreement, adopting Passivhaus and low energy design principles into projects beyond housing is imperative to the future of the industry. Applying this knowledge early on in the design process is crucial to achieving the best possible end product for clients and end users.”

“As designers, it’s important to acknowledge that we’re not all individually equipped with the expertise required to deliver on the net zero targets we’re publicly backing. To achieve these targets in practice we need to need to play a more active role by upskilling, both as individuals and collectively as a profession.” says Katherine McMahon, one of three architects currently undertaking the Passivhaus training.

“We know from performance gap research that it’s not enough to rely solely on the expertise of others to provide bolt-on solutions, or to assume that the basic principles of sustainable design we were taught at university will be enough to get us to net zero. The Passivhaus course appeals to me as a way of taking responsibility and making practical steps towards achieving more energy efficient design outputs. It’s a rigorous quality assured process with a consistent, tested output – this is important if we’re to address the performance gap in energy use."

Joe continues: ”The process and the focus that comes with trying to achieve Passivhaus means that it is an excellent tool for creating low energy buildings. The stringency of the airtightness requirements, the process of testing through the build and the open and blame free culture required are all positive additions to building design.”

Tom Fowlie was the first within the practice to become a Passivhaus Designer. “Studying on the course back in 2015 definitely felt like swimming upstream. Since then, the wider world has changed significantly and, especially after the Stirling Prize in 2019 [when the winner was Goldsmith Street, a Passivhaus residential scheme by Mikhail Riches with Cathy Hawley], Passivhaus is no longer a fringe ‘experiment’, but a recognised standard that clients are asking for as a matter of course.

I now find that I’m examining everything I do in my work through this lens and am eagerly anticipating a future where every project is a certified Passivhaus.”

Andrew Abraham and Chris Pittway completed the course earlier this year. Chris explains how it will tie in with his current projects: “The Passivhaus approach has enabled me to have a thorough understanding of the physics of designing energy-efficient buildings with low operational energy demands. Much of my current work is in the residential sector, where the Passivhaus principles are vital, especially for social housing where reducing fuel poverty is of critical importance.

Since becoming certified, optimisation of the form factor to reduce heat loss and simplifying the building envelope as much as possible to improve air tightness has taken on much more significance in the early design stages. Testing window sizes using the Passivhaus calculator to fine tune the balance between heat losses and solar gains has also proved a really useful exercise and I look forward to the later construction stages.

I am excited to see Passivhaus adopted more broadly, the role it can play in reducing operational energy use and the value it can deliver to people – keeping homes warm and well-ventilated.”

Andrew is more focussed on commercial projects: “Since completing the course, I have been able to apply the knowledge to my projects within the practice - notably Three Chamberlain Square, Birmingham a commercial project with a pioneering sustainability approach, targeting low operational and embodied carbon. Undertaking the course raised my awareness of building physics, materials and product specification, which in turn has enabled greater dialogue and facilitated decision making with the wider design team at all stages, specifically in relation to building performance and services. “

We are already seeing successful outcomes from the training; developing new client partnerships and delivering projects to ambitious standards, and We're looking forward to realising the next generation of Passivhaus projects within the practice.

Andrew Abraham is an architect based in Belfast. He has worked on a number of commercial schemes, using both new and existing buildings, and is a member of ACAN in Northern Ireland.

Adam Booth is an associate in our Manchester office, leading on a number of urban and residential schemes. He is currently working on South Hill residential in Jersey, which applies Passivhaus Design to a larger-scale development.

Tom Fowlie was the first of our architects to undergo the Passivhaus training course. He has since applied his learnings to his own self built house, and brought his understanding to a range of projects within the practice.

Katherine McMahon is an architect in Manchester studying to become a Passivhaus Certified Designer. She is currently working on a residential scheme in the North West, providing around 100 new homes targeting Passivhaus Plus standards.

Alex Morris is an Associate and Passivhaus Designer, and part of our creative reuse and heritage team. He has recently delivered an innovative conservation and building project at Bath Abbey, using natural hot spring water to heat the 16th Century church and its associated buildings.

Chris Pittway is an architect, whose work is focused on social and affordable housing developments in London. He is currently working on a 100% affordable housing scheme in Lewisham using Passivhaus principles to meet our and the clients, climate targets.

Dr Joe Jack Williams is an Associate and researcher at FCBStudios and, alongside Ian Taylor, leads the practice's environmental research, identifying, developing and enabling research across sectors and projects.



Images:

1. Kellog College Hub\, Oxford (c) Tim Crocker

2. Stephen Taylor Court\, King's College Cambridge (c) James Newton

3. South Hill\, Jersey

4. Three Chamberlain Square\, Birmingham