Passivhaus care development goes large in Bedfordshire
The Red Kite Meadows development in Flitwick for Central Bedfordshire Council is likely to be the largest registered Passivhaus care provision in the UK to date.
Central Bedfordshire Council has embarked on an ambitious programme for its senior living provision with - not one but two - projects targeting the Passivhaus standard currently under construction.. Marigold House and the Red Kite Meadows projects utilise two different construction techniques and airtightness strategies, each with their advantages and disadvantages. An additional two Passivhaus homes are in the pipeline for completion in 2027-8 and will carry forward the best construction characteristics and airtightness strategies from the current two pilot projects.
The Red Kite Meadows development at Steppingley Road comprises:
- Honeysuckle House: residential care home of 72 places. Each resident will have their own private, secure balcony or patio with access to resident-only roof and courtyard gardens.
- Camellia Court: 8-bedroom short break facility, with resident-only gardens, co-located with the care home, for adults with learning and/or physical disabilities.
- Meadowsweet Place: Independent living scheme consisting of 88 homes, including 55 x 1-bedroom apartments and 33 x 2-bedroom apartments. Each resident will have their own front door with a balcony or terrace, with options to access care according to their needs. There will also be private recreational places to relax, including a shared resident-only lounge and roof gardens.
- Community facilities: shared facilities, located centrally between the care home and independent living scheme, include a café-bar, salon, treatment rooms for health practitioners and function rooms serving the residents of the whole building and the public. Extensive community gardens and a woodland walk contribute to the outdoor space.
Opting for Passivhaus on the project was a client-led decision based on the business case and to align with the Council's commitment to sustainability.
Key statsConstruction: Concrete frame Number of homes: 168 TFA: 12,181 m2 Build start date: 2021 Completed: Expected 2024 Certified: Aiming for Passivhaus |
We wanted a clean, healthy and comfortable environment to support active ageing with the quality assurance that Passivhaus brings to a project to ensure that the building would perform as designed. We were confident that the additional cost of adopting Passivhaus would be recouped in energy savings within a reasonable timeframe. The recent hike energy cost is expected to make the payback even better.
Ian Hanton, Development & Commissioning Manager, Social Care & Housing, Central Bedfordshire Council
Construction
The project team is finding the concrete frame construction is proceeding much faster than traditional construction methods. The airtightness line for the project is the cement particleboard in the wall cavity. One challenge this presented was to ensure that this is airtight at the time of construction, because when the wall was completed there would be no opportunity for remedial action. The project team is hoping that that initial air tests and analysis will prove the concept and provide reassurance for the rest of the build. The project's externally supported balconies worked well in terms of minimising thermal bridging.
U-values |
Floor: 0.11 W/m2K Concrete on EPS |
Wall: 0.09 W/m2K Brick and aluminium cladding |
Roof: 0.11 W/m2K Tapered insulation |
Building performance
Designed energy performance
Space Heating Demand (≤ 15 kWh/m².a)
|
12 kWh/m².a
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Heating Load (≤ 10 W/m²)
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9 W/m²
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Primary Energy Demand (≤ 120 kWh/m².a)
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124 kWh/m².a
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Primary Energy Renewable (PER) Demand (≤ 60 kWh/m².a*)
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82 kWh/m².a
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Primary Energy Renewable Generation
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18 kWh/m².a
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*+/-15 kWh/m².a allowance if offset by energy generation. See Passivhaus criteria.
Services
Adjusting typical Passivhaus ventilation rates to those required for the commercial-sized kitchen has been challenging. A recirculating domestic hot system had a large impact on primary energy and adds to the risk of overheating. The decision to switch from individual MVHR units in the care home bedrooms to a series of centralised systems worked very well with respects to acoustics and energy efficiency.
Key team
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You may also like
Join our upcoming Large & Complex Passivhaus Masterclass on 22 May 2024 looking in-depth at Passivhaus Care Homes and read our other Passivhaus care home case studies linked below.
Further information
Red Kite Meadows (Steppingley Road) development
Passivhaus Social Housing Campaign
Passivhaus benefits guide & costs research
Previous PHT story: Marigold care home blooms in Bedfordshire - 01 May 2024
Previous PHT story: Extra-special Extra Care – 22 October 2022
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