Passivhaus

Completed in 2018, Phase 1a consists of 38 socially rented Passivhaus homes. Dwellings are dual aspect, enabling cross ventilation for effective natural cooling. Deep, south-facing balconies block peak summer solar gains and large window openings allow purge ventilation.

Renewable energy is provided via a PV array, exemplary air tightness helps to reduce heat losses and improve thermal comfort, and comprehensive post occupancy has helped improve residents' comfort and experience. An innovative communal MVHR ensures a continuous supply of fresh filtered air. 

Data has shown that internal temperatures rarely dropped below 21°C in winter and only went above 26°C during the peak summer months, while resident feedback showed that all residents felt the air quality in their apartments was good and general comfort was a huge improvement on their previous flats. 

This three-bedroom Passivhaus home in North London demonstrates what can be achieved with collaboration, innovation and solution-focused design. Max himself was an integral member of the design team. The building’s thermal envelope, its ventilation system and its windows are designed so that the heat loss is no more than the heat generated by people living in the house, even on a freezing winter’s day.

Cranmer Road is an ultra-low energy, all electric, Passivhaus development for King's College Cambridge. As Passivhaus consultants, we supported the design team and contractor from early-stage design through delivery on site. We helped evaluate the benefits and implications of Passivhaus, so the client could decide whether to adopt the standard and supported the design team in developing a low-energy, buildable design, including carrying out modelling using the Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP), and thermal bridging calculations. 

This deep green retrofit of a 1930s telephone exchange into a modern office has achieved the Passivhaus EnerPHit standard and is targeting several other key sustainable building certifications, including BREEAM 'Outstanding', and WELL Gold certification. Its very low operational energy and the retention of the existing structure have saved 84 per cent in whole-life carbon compared with a standard office retrofit. Max Fordham was appointed as Passivhaus consultants on the project from detailed design stages onwards. 

This Passivhaus student accommodation offers future-proof and accessible homes for Lucy Cavendish College, acting as the sustainable heart of the college campus. The building uses electricity as its fuel source, with air-source heat pumps for both domestic hot water and space heating. Indoor air quality is managed through mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and summer comfort through natural ventilation. In addition to delivering low operational energy, the primary structure of the building is cross-laminated timber, limiting its embodied energy. The project was awarded Passivhaus certification in January 2023.  

Greenhaus is a nine-storey development in the heart of the city of 96 one and two-bedroom affordable homes, with retail space at ground floor. Part of the Salford regeneration masterplan, Greenhaus is the first project of its kind in the northwest of England and the biggest Passivhaus social housing scheme in the region. The homes at Greenhaus benefit from triple-glazed windows, excellent levels of airtightness, and carefully installed insulation, using minimal energy for heating and cooling. As an all-electric project, it supports the transition to low-carbon energy sources, incorporating energy generation from solar PV, with domestic hot water produced by air source heat pumps. Properties that are built to Passivhaus standards enjoy reduced heating energy consumption of around 90% compared to traditional housing stock, and 70% compared to typical new builds, helping residents to reduce their fuel bills and cut their carbon footprints.