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Home/Projects/Housing/Affordable Housing/Witch Hazel Passivhaus Development

Witch Hazel Passivhaus Development

Client
Solon Housing Association & Speller Metcalfe
Location
Bristol
Project Leaders
Jim Hayles Richard Fellows

Challenge

As Passivhaus Certified Designers Quattro was appointed by Speller Metcalf to provide design services for a development of homes in the south of Bristol.

Speller Metcalfe was contracted by Solon Housing Association to design and build 35 homes, including 4 to meet the Passivhaus standard. Quattro’s considerable experience in Social Housing and related, specific standards, made us ideally placed to deliver this project.

In addition to the Passivhaus standard, the housing had to meet a 10% renewables target and the code for sustainable homes.

Sector
Housing
Affordable Housing
Sustainability
Passivhaus
Services
Passivhaus Architecture
Sustainable Design
Partners
Speller Metcalfe

Gallery

Passivhaus Architectural Design Services
Passivhaus Architectural Design Services
Passivhaus Architectural Design Services
Passivhaus Architectural Design Services

Solution

The Passivhaus homes were designed to form a two-storey apartment block in compact form with independent access to all apartments and no communal accommodation. The block was designed to ensure the main living spaces and bedrooms took advantage of large south facing windows which help to provide a significant proportion of the heating requirements.

The bathroom and kitchen were located to the north side where the services requirements could be close together. The Passivhaus design method considers many detailed elements, including the length of hot water pipes to make sure that the performance of a building is predicted accurately at the design stage.

Quattro Design modelled the scheme using the Passivhaus PHPP software to ensure that it would meet the required standards. To reduce risks, as part of this design process, we engaged specialist Passivhaus certifiers ‘WARM’, to undertake quality assurance work prior to their final evaluation and checks at the end of the scheme to enable certification.

Timber frame construction was used for the standard housing and was considered the preferred choice for the Passivhaus homes. This enabled the supply chain and construction methods to remain as co-ordinated as possible across all the schemes. Working with the Contractor, Quattro developed specific enhanced details to meet the Passivhaus criteria.

This involved:

  • The use of thermal blocks around the ground floor
  • Increased thickness of EPS insulation above the beam and block floor
  • Additional insulation to the inside of the timber framing with the airtight barrier protected behind
  • A significantly higher eaves to avoid reducing the insulation at the top of the wall

Fundamental to Passivhaus standards and low energy designs more broadly, is the careful integration of the MVHR (mechanical ventilation with heat recovery) system that helps to reduce energy use considerably.

If we are to achieve our ambitions of creating a zero carbon city by 2050, we will need more sustainable development like this...Solon's housing development is a great example of raising the standard of living and creating a better place for all.

George Ferguson, Bristol Mayor
Bristol City Council

Related Projects

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View Project about Witch Hazel Passivhaus Development

Page Park

View Project about Witch Hazel Passivhaus Development

Clients and Partners

Dowdeswell Estates
Accord Housing Association
Swindon Borough Council
Alliance Homes
Rooftop Housing Group Ltd
Bromford Group
Live West Homes Ltd
Advance
Aqua Construction
Ark Housing Consultancy
Beard and Tandy Developments
Piper Homes
Platform Housing Ltd
Redcliffe Homes
Redrow Homes
Bristol Property Partnership
Central Housing Investment Consortium
Cirencester Housing
Connexus Housing
CJ Bayliss
Rydon Construction
SAHA Development Company
Sanctuary Group
Selwood Housing
Solon South West Housing Association
Sovereign
Speller Metcalfe Ltd
Stonewater Procurement
Stroud District Council
E G Carter & Co Ltd
Elim
G P Thomas and Sons Ltd
Greensquare Group
Gloucester City Homes
Gloucestershire County Council
The Guinness Partnership
Two Rivers Housing
United living
Valleys to Coast Housing Ltd
West Mercia Housing Group
The Salvation Army
Homes in Sedgemoor
J Harper & Sons Ltd
Ken Biggs Contractors
Kier Living Ltd
LHC
Land Promotions Ltd
Willmott Dixon Construction
Lovell Partnership Ltd
Yarlington Housing Group
M F Freeman
Markey Construction
Mcloughin Planning
McIntosh DBR
Monmouthshire Housing Association
Cheltenham Borough Homes
Blackbox Planning
SWPA framework
Bristol City Council
Wyedean Housing Association
S F Planning
Wiltshire Council
Lane Britton Jenkins
Melt Homes
J Harper & Sons
Eastington CLT
Boo Homes

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01452 424234

info@quattrodesign.co.uk

Quattro Design Architects

35+ years delivering Sustainable Architecture across the U.K. At Quattro, we design Architecture for the people who will benefit from the places and spaces we create. Our designs excite and inspire, regularly exceeding expectation. Sustainability, Collaboration and Social Responsibility lie at the heart of our work.

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