Fife's Templehall: steely Passivhaus performance

Fife Council's commitment to Passivhaus public buildings continues with the Templehall Community Hub in Kirkcaldy, which opened in April 2026 and is now certified. Built with a steel frame, it offers practical lessons for delivering large-scale Passivhaus in steel.

Replacing three ageing facilities, the new Templehall Community Hub includes: a library; café; customer service centre; youth club; IT and learning suite; training kitchen; meeting rooms; games and community hall; outdoor multi-use games area; and allotments and community garden.

The architect and contractor team on the project have previously worked on the Passivhaus certified Woodmill and St Columba’s RC High Schools project in Dunfermline, and the recently completed Caledonia High School projectm which is targeting Passivhaus, also for Fife Council.

PHT members AHR were Architect and Passivhaus Designer on the project, with PHT member Greengauge acting as Passivhaus Certifier.

Key stats

Construction: Steel frame
TFA: 1316 m²
Build start date: 2024
Completed: 2026
Certified: Passivhaus, 2026

Templehall Community Hub. Image credit: AHR & Keith Hunter Photography

The hub is the first community facility in Fife to be built to the Passivhaus Classic Standard, meaning it has been designed to use significantly less energy while maintaining a comfortable indoor environment throughout the year.

Fife Council

Construction

The hub was constructed using a primary steel frame with SFS (steel framing system). From the outset, the design and construction teams developed strategies to minimise thermal bridging, considering these both in the detailed design and during on-site installation. The primary frame was kept within the thermal envelope, and any elements that penetrated the insulation line were thermally broken. These junctions were modelled in detail, with the results incorporated into the PHPP.

Insulation was layered to form a continuous thermal envelope around the building. Careful detailing at interfaces and junctions helped maintain continuity between the wall, roof and ground-floor insulation, while reducing the risk of gaps and thermal bridges. The insulation layers were coordinated with the structural frame and airtightness line so that the thermal envelope could be followed clearly through the drawings and on site. At ground-floor level, a concrete screed was laid before the insulation boards to create a flat substrate and support a gap-free installation. The boards formed part of the continuous thermal envelope, with their installation coordinated to minimise gaps. This approach drew on lessons from an earlier Passivhaus project and helped maintain construction quality.

The airtightness line was formed on the outer face of the SFS using sheathing board and Wraptite membrane. Maintaining a simple, continuous and clearly identifiable line was central to the design. It was clearly shown in the drawings and straightforward to follow during installation. Sheathing board was also installed over the profiled roof deck, providing a flat substrate for the roof airtightness layer and allowing it to connect readily with the wall airtightness line. This legible approach supported the on-site installation and helped the building achieve a good airtightness result. The hub achieved an airtightness result of 0.42 air changes per hour at 50 Pa, well within the Passivhaus limit of 0.6.

Designed to support everyday use and long-term adaptability, the hub offers a high quality, low-energy environment that is comfortable, efficient and built to perform. For the people who use it, that means bright, well-ventilated spaces that remain comfortable throughout the day.

Jamie Gregory, Associate Director & Certified Passivhaus Designer, AHR

Embodied carbon

Reducing whole-life carbon has also been a key consideration. Following detailed analysis, a lower-carbon steel frame was specified as well as concrete containing ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS).

This approach extends to the reuse of materials salvaged from the former Argos Centre, a youth hub previously located on the site. Existing beams have been repurposed as planters in the community garden and as a feature within the community cafe, while timber from a decommissioned school was reused for fencing.

U-values

Roof: 0.067 W/m²K

Structural steel deck, 12mm sheathing board with vapour control layer, 320mm insulation in two 160mm layers (thermal conductivity 0.022W/mK) with roofing membrane as waterproofing finish.

Wall: 0.110 W/m²K

Brick external leaf: 60mm clear cavity, 225mm rockwool cavity slab insulation in two overlapping layers (thermal conductivity 0.032W/mK), 12mm waterboard with adhered Wraptite membrane. Sheathing board fixed to 150mm SFS studs, 150mm stone wool steel frame slab full infill to studs, vapour control layer, 70mm independent wall lining as service void, with one layer of 15mm plasterboard as the internal finish.

Aluminium cladding: 280mm stone wool slab insulation in overlapping layers (thermal conductivity 0.035W/mK), 12mm waterboard with adhered Wraptite membrane. Sheathing board fixed to 150mm SFS studs, 150mm stone wool steel frame slab full infill to studs, VCL, 70mm independent wall lining as service void with one layer of 15mm duraline plasterboard as the internal finish.

Floor: 0.086 W/m²K

150mm concrete floor slab with 250mm PIR insulation in two overlapping layers (thermal conductivity 0.022W/mK) below slab on DPM.

Building performance

Designed energy performance

Airtightness n₅₀ (≤ 0.6ACH @ 50 Pa)

0.42 @ 50 Pa

Space Heating Demand (≤ 15 kWh/m².a)

7 kWh/m².a

Heating Load (≤ 10 W/m²)

8 W/m²

Primary Energy Demand (≤ 120 kWh/m².a)

119 kWh/m².a

Primary Energy Renewable Generation

11 kWh/m².a

Overheating %

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

Services

The project's building services are designed to be efficient and easy to control.

Heating: Underfloor heating serves the main hall, while radiant ceiling panels provide heating in smaller spaces.

Ventilation strategy: Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) delivers a steady supply of fresh air, supported by sensors to help maintain comfortable internal conditions.

Summer comfort: Passivhaus design strategies, including carefully positioned rooflights and external shading, maximise natural light while helping to reduce the risk of overheating.

Fife Council has been forward thinking in futureproofing the building. It will be a real benefit to the community that it’s been built to the Passivhaus standard. It’s comfortable, offers great community facilities and will have incredibly low running costs. As a community centre, Templehall will also allow a wide number of people to experience Passivhaus comfort and efficiency first hand.

Paul Smith, Passivhaus Certifier, Greengauge

Steel Frame. Image credit: AHR

Lessons learned

Steel frame: Keeping the steel frame within the thermal envelope was a key consideration. Where steel penetrated the thermal line, such as at canopy connections and the plant screen, connections were thermally broken and modelled in 3D to assess their thermal impact. Structural columns within the envelope were also modelled; their impact reduced the further they were positioned into the plan. This detailed analysis helped ensure the PHPP inputs reflected the performance of the as-built junctions.
Complex interfaces: The interfaces between the steel frame and SFS were complex, making it essential to ensure insulation was fitted around all steel flanges and within the SFS frames. Effective site coordination and well-planned workflows by the contractor team were key to achieving this.
Airtightness: The project's excellent airtightness result has been attributed to meticulous detailing, use of certified components and rigorous quality control throughout construction.
Evidencing: Methods for collating information developed on the team's previous Passivhaus projects are continuously being utilised, streamlined, and improved, developing a robustness and familiarity in the process of evidence gathering. This evidencing helped fast-track the project's certification, which occurred soon after completion.
Occupancy patterns & profiles: As a multi-use building, gathering reliable data on room use and internal heat gains early was key to aligning the PHPP model with how the hub will actually be used.

Templehall Community Hub. Image credit: AHR & Keith Hunter Photography

Architect’s view

From the outset, the focus has been on delivering a building that performs well in everyday use.

A fabric-first approach shapes the design. The highly insulated, airtight envelope limits heat loss despite the building’s large, single-storey form. This results in strong thermal performance, with U-values outperforming current standards.

A focus on reuse and local sourcing has strengthened ties to the area, embedding elements of its history within the new building while reducing environmental impact. This sense of continuity, combined with spaces that support both social interaction and individual wellbeing, helps to create a strong sense of ownership and pride.

Lynsey Isles, Architect, AHR

Photography of completed project: Keith Hunter Photography

Key team

Client: Fife Council
Project Manager: Hub East Central Scotland
Architect & Passivhaus Designer: AHR
Contractor: BAM UK
Structural engineer: Bayne Stevenson
M&E consultant: Haythorne Boyle
Passivhaus Certifier: Greengauge Building Energy Consultants

Congratulations to Fife Council and all the project team for delivering another large-scale non-domestic Passivhaus project, with more in the pipeline.