01/11/2011 - Partnership wins race for UK's first Passivhaus Schools

Thomas Vale Construction and Architype have officially handed over the UK's first ever Passivhaus accredited schools in the UK.

In contrast to the current UK approach of adding complicated technology and renewables to buildings in an expensive and questionable attempt to ‘offset’ carbon, Passivhaus achieves buildings that by design, simply use less energy and optimise comfort.

Passivhaus is an internationally established quality assurance certification standard. By using natural materials, high levels of natural daylight and excellent ventilation, we create a healthy, fresh and uplifting atmosphere that enhances motivation and concentration.

Wolverhampton City Council decided to adopt Architype’s and Thomas Vale’s proposals that the school should be designed to the Passivhaus standard in order to achieve:

•     Significantly lower energy consumption and running costs
•     Better internal comfort, especially CO2 levels
•     Simpler and more robust control systems
•     Educational interest and potential

The Council’s proviso was that the Passivhaus schools must be delivered at no extra cost than their standard primary school budget.

Jeff Southall, Wolverhampton City Council: “Architype & Thomas Vale Construction have made it easy for us to achieve Passivhaus at no extra cost and with a tight budget and timescale. Our new schools will benefit from increased internal comfort, and hugely reduced running costs and carbon emissions from day one.”

Architype Director Jonathan Hines said: “Passivhaus offers radically low energy consumption together with optimised comfort of occupants. We are convinced that designing to an energy target is a more logical and effective route to achieving carbon reductions than relying the carbon offsetting with micro renewables encouraged by zero carbon building targets.”

Instead of allowing ongoing energy consumption and then relying on ‘offsetting’ carbon emissions by adding expensive and difficult to maintain renewables, Passivhaus achieves direct and real reductions in carbon simply by using less energy. The standard approach to achieving carbon reduction targets in schools is to add a biomass boiler but this approach is environmentally and economically flawed. Using less energy is the most reliable way of achieving carbon reductions.

Richard Green, Traditional Projects Director enthusiastically endorses Passivhaus: “We are demonstrating that the UK building industry can deliver buildings to the highest energy standard in Europe. In response to the challenge of the James Review, we have launched a joint venture with Architype to offer ‘standardised’ Passivhaus construction at a reduced cost delivered through an integrated BIM process in partnership with our design team and supply chain. This is the future.”

The Passivhaus schools are the culmination of a five year collaboration of delivering highly sustainable projects between Architype and Thomas Vale, including the first BREE AM Excellent primary school in Britain.

The standardised system has been developed from this experience of actually delivering Passivhaus, in partnership with the whole design team and supply chain.

The projects utilised fully integrated BIMS (Building Information Management System), which optimised design and construction co-ordination, and significantly reduced costs and procurement times.