MBC Timbeframe will be responsible for the foundations, superstructure, insulation and air-tightness using their Passivhaus Twin-wall system and Passivslab raft foundation.

Passivhaus buildings provide a high level of occupant comfort while using very little energy for heating and cooling and Certification is through the Passivhaus Institute.  For more details on what benefits designing to Passivhaus standards can give your new home please click here.

The building is to be built for private client using the same timberframe system that so many of our latest projects employ to ensure low energy bills, cost effective and quick construction and a comfortable home environment.

One expert company in renewable technology has done some more digging in to this and isn’t quite as convinced as the tabloids appear to be.

According to www.energist.co.uk there is some discrepancy in what has been reported and what was actually said:

https://www.energistuk.co.uk/knowledge-bank/articles/gas-boilers-to-be-banned-in-2025-we-dont-think-so.php

At BWP Architects we have been advising private clients planning their own homes to push insulation levels up and up while pushing air-permeability down and down. In addition, sensible planning of bathrooms and hot water storage locations can significantly reduce wastage of hot water by reducing lengths of pipework. It is far better to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat your home and water in the first place and then deal with how one creates that heat next. This is one of the core Passivhaus principals of design along with consideration of limiting solar overheating from summer sun while maximising solar gains from winter sun, looking at the volume efficiency of a new home, maintaining fresh air etc all to create highly energy efficient and comfortable homes to live in.

By reducing the requirement for heating it brings in to play the option of using heat source pumps (air, ground or even water) as they become more efficient as the demands are lower.

Of course, as the Energist article above highlights, heat pumps can be heavy on electricity requirements so coupling these with a large array of Photovoltaic panels and battery storage makes perfect sense.

Finally, the Government saying they are committed to something and then this actually actually translating into legislation are often very far apart… it wasn’t that long ago that the Government were committed to all new housing being zero-carbon by 2016!

From a shortlist of eight projects the new house has been awarded “Best Eco House” in the 2018 Build It awards.

Constructed by MBC Timberframe the house is based on Passivhaus principals of high levels of insulation and air-tightness to drive down energy usage while sensitive detailing of overhangs and deep window reveals ensures that solar gains are controlled to the months when they can contribute to comfortable living in the house and eliminated in summer months to avoid overheating.

“Having recently completed our self build,  I have to express my thanks to Leigh of BWP Architects for his input throughout the whole process.

Leigh was not our initial architect, we contacted Leigh once we had decided on a contemporary style property having noted his track record of beautiful homes. Leigh made the whole planning and design process painless, he made everything easy to understand, our expectations were set realistically unlike former contacts and the end result was an outstanding home, which we built on budget and on time, as such I couldn’t have asked for much more.

Peter Worthy – Client, Botany Wood”

Sited within the Greenbelt on the outskirts of Farnham, Surrey this project for a new two storey detached home to replace an existing bungalow needed to overcome Waverley Borough Council’s strict policy RD2A limiting the size of replacement dwellings to just 10% larger than the existing house.

Maximising the potential for extending the existing house under Policy RD2 by 40% over the original property helped secure this scheme.

Construction started in autumn 2016 and the house was fully complete in less than 9 months.

Designed and built using Passivhaus construction principals of controlling air-tightness, limiting thermal bridging and plenty of insulation to drive down energy usage the choice of using MBC Timberframe was a natural one. We have successful worked with MBC on a number of projects now and their ability to guarantee air-tightness levels down at 0.6 air changes per house and insulation levels below 0.1 offers huge benefits. Their ‘passivslab’ raft foundation system avoids the thermal bridging issues where the ground floor meets the external walls.

Externally, the finish will be Norstone Ochre cladding, Dryvit self-colured acrylic render and

timber (heat treated to prevent warping). The interface of these materials with the timber frame solution required careful detailing and our knowledge of the MBS system played a key part in completing the work. Below is an example of one of the 3D details needed to fully explain for the contractors how the external wall fabric goes together.

For more Contemporary New Homes follow this link here.

Many thanks to Matt Chisnall for his photography work as usual.

A ribbon of glazing runs the entire perimeter of the building at eaves levels giving the appearance of a shallow floating roof projecting beyond the external walls to provide shelter and passive solar control of excessive summer gains. Internally, the structure supports the roof with a concealed ring of flitch beams at the eaves supporting steel fins.

Due to the topography of the site, the garden elevations appear to sit on a deep stone plinth or base further enhancing the pavilion aesthetic. At night, the glazed ribbon comes alive as light projects out and is reflected off the soffit of the overhanging roof. All white interiors, white windows and self-coloured white external render complete the minimalist look. The shallow pitched standing seam zinc roof behind is hidden from views due the site levels and the projecting eaves to give the appearance of a simple thin slab roof.

This replacement contemporary dwelling sits in a backland site behind a street of ordinary ‘vernacular’ homes and is accessed down a  narrow private drive. Ash Thermood timber cladding over a white render and black brick plinth clad the superstructure by MBC Timberframe. The standing seam zinc roof  with concealed guttering and matching zinc rainwater pipes cantilevers over the clerestory glazing.

Sited close to the banks of Chichester Harbour on a gently sloping site the rear of the building is lifted above the external ground levels by around 750mm and forms a decked verandah complete with timber posts supporting the oversailing skirt roof around the whole of the ground floor. The projecting eaves offer protection against excessive solar gain through the southern and western glazing in summer while also providing shelter against the prevailing winds and rain.

The skirt roof, together with the low pitched main roof, helps the building hug the site and the weathered timber cladding and shingles will allow the building to blend with the heavily tree lined site perimeter.

The main foundations and timber frame were constructed by MBC Timberframe who specialise in Passivhaus buildings. They completed the insulated piled foundation and slab which laps with the external wall insulation within their twin-wall with minimal thermal bridging. U-Values down at 0.12 and with guaranteed air-permeability rates below 0.6 air changes per hour help drive energy costs down.

Replacing an existing chalet bungalow with a full two storey house while still satisfying the planners was always going to be a challenge and several different design options were explored for the roof form.

The final approved scheme, due for completion on site in Spring 2018, included a shallow monopitch roof to create full height first floor spaces while maintaining a lower eaves to the north front elevation.

The main timberframe and foundations were build by MBC Timberframe who specialise in Passivhaus buildings. They completed the insulated raft foundation which laps with the external wall insulation within their twin-wall with minimal thermal bridging. U-Values down at 0.12 and with guaranteed air-permeability rates below 0.6 air changes per hour help drive energy costs down.

A standing seam zinc roof with pre-weathered ash Thermowood cladding over a self-coloured acrylic white render with light grey aluminium windows complete the palette of materials.

Many of our projects incorporate the principals of Passivhaus design where a “fabric first” approach to energy savings, coupled with a logical approach to services installation, overall layout, construction detailing, careful consideration of control of solar gains and the integration of renewable technology (without the reliance on it) to provide comfortable homes to live in that are also economical to use.