Newham proves councils can with 70 new Passivhaus homes!

Another success for Newham Council’s ambitious Passivhaus housing programme, John Street demonstrates how Passivhaus can be successfully delivered at scale for affordable housing, providing high-quality, low-energy homes that prioritise comfort and health, while significantly reducing energy bills for residents.

The John Street development delivers 70 new affordable rent homes across three buildings:

• 11-storey apartment block

• 4-storey apartment block

• A terrace of townhouses

The scheme demonstrates efficient, sensitive delivery of high-performance housing on a constrained urban brownfield site, while also supporting social value through local employment, training, and community initiatives.

A truly collaborative approach bringing together PHT members Delta Q, Higgins Partnerships, and certifiers PHT patrons Etude, underpinned the project’s success. Certification was achieved ahead of practical completion, made possible by embedding Passivhaus principles from the earliest design stages and a shared commitment to quality from the outset. By banking evidence early, resolving queries efficiently, and maintaining clear, direct communication across the design, construction, and certification teams, John Street stands as a strong example of what aligned teamwork can deliver.

 

Key stats Construction: Concrete frame with SFS infill or masonry infill Number of homes: 70 TFA:  6790 m2  Build start date: 2023 Completed: 2025 Certified: Passivhaus Classic, 2025

 

Construction 

The contrasting form factors across the three blocks meant the smaller buildings required far more intensive detailing and insulation strategies, while critical packages — particularly windows, doors, and MVHR — demanded significant design coordination, on-site verification, and time to get right.  Piers Sadler, Delta Q

Material and construction choices were driven by durability, buildability, and airtightness performance. Particular attention was paid to eliminating thermal bridging and delivering a robust airtightness strategy across all typologies. The smaller buildings, with more complex geometry and higher external surface area, required more intensive detailing and insulation strategies, reinforcing the importance of early-stage design coordination.

Further information can be found at the International Passivhaus Database listing

 

 

Building performance

Designed energy performance
	Block A 11 Storey block flats	Block B Terrace – 8 houses	Block C 4 Storey block flats
Airtightness n50 (≤ 0.6ACH @ 50 Pa)	0.31 @ 50 Pa	0.37 @ 50 Pa	0.5 @ 50 Pa
Space Heating Demand (≤ 15 kWh/m².a)	12 kWh/m².a	14 kWh/m².a	18 kWh/m².a
Heating Load (≤ 10 W/m²)	7 W/m²	8 W/m²	10 W/m²
Primary Energy Renewable (PER) Demand (≤ 60 kWh/m².a*)	63 kWh/m².a	51 kWh/m².a	69 kWh/m².a
Primary Energy Renewable Generation	38 kWh/m².a	0 kWh/m².a	33 kWh/m².a

*+/-15 kWh/m².a allowance if offset by energy generation. See Passivhaus criteria. 

 

Services & summer comfort

Heating and hot water for all three buildings are provided by communal air source heat pumps, supported by central plant including thermal stores. Incoming cold water is pre-heated via buffer vessels and plate heat exchangers, improving system efficiency and reducing peak demand.

Each home is served by a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system, which provides continuous fresh air while recovering heat from extract air. Primary space heating is delivered via a heating coil within the MVHR system, supplying warm air directly to the apartments. Small electric heaters are installed as backup for peak loads, though modelling indicates they are unlikely to be used frequently, allowing the heat pumps to be sized for optimal efficiency.

Summer overheating risks are mitigated through a combination of balconies, brise soleil, and carefully designed shading strategies. External shading and deep window reveals to south and west facing facades help manage solar gain whilst a pergola structure adds architectural character to the terrace of townhouses. Cooling is also provided to ground-floor apartments only, using the heat pumps to deliver cooled water to a reversible coil on the MVHR. This provides peak-lopping cooling rather than full air conditioning, supporting summer comfort while maintaining low energy use. 

 

Challenges & lessons learned 

• Delivering airtightness on a constrained urban site: The precision required to meet Passivhaus airtightness targets was addressed through careful planning, robust supply chain management, and close collaboration between design and construction teams.

• Managing complexity across multiple typologies: The contrasting form factors required different insulation and detailing strategies, reinforcing the value of early coordination and detailed design resolution.

• Early team integration: Bringing design and construction teams together from the outset allowed systems to be tested, build processes refined, and installation quality assured, lessons that will be carried forward into future Passivhaus projects.

The early integration of the design and construction teams was key. It allowed us to refine the build process and ensure the quality of critical elements like insulation, ventilation, and thermal bridging... lessons we will absolutely carry forward. Yaseen Parker, Technical Director, Higgins Partnerships

 

Key team  Client: London Borough of Newham Architect: MEPK Architects Passivhaus Designer/ Consultant: Delta Q          Contractor: Higgins Partnerships Structural engineer: Graphic Structures M&E consultant: Synergy Consulting Engineers Ltd   Passivhaus Certifier: PHT Patrons Etude

John Street proves that Passivhaus is not only compatible with affordable housing, but a powerful tool for delivering long-lasting social, environmental, and economic benefits. By combining rigorous performance standards with thoughtful design and strong collaboration, the scheme sets a compelling benchmark for future low-energy housing across London and beyond.

 

John Street has provided a rich learning experience for our practice. We hope the project sets a strong precedent for the homes we design in the future — homes that are optimised for a decarbonised grid while prioritising occupant comfort, health, and wellbeing. Marucs Nelson, MEPK Architects

 

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Further information

John Street Affordable Housing - Delta Q

John Street, Plaistow - Higgins Partnerships

Passivhaus Social Housing

Passivhaus Client Clubs - Social Housing

Passivhaus Benefits Guide

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20th January 2026

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