Somerset Passivhaus homes underway

2 Passivhaus dwellings in Somerset, home to recent PHT Award Finalist Dundon Passivhaus, have received planning and are well underway.

An unusual elliptical shaped two-storey Passivhaus in a valley below the village of Rowberrow in Somerset is currently under construction. New PHT member Greenheart Sustainable Construction have built many air-tight, energy efficient houses, but this is their first aiming for Passivhaus certification. Designed by Luca Biselli with Jon Bol of B3 Architecture providing Passivhaus detailing.

The site has been prepared and the Isoquick insulated slab and retaining wall system has been fitted. The next phase is the steel mesh and concrete, followed by the 400mm fully insulated timber frame. 

Rowberrow Passivhaus: Greenheart Sustainable Construction

Hudson Architects have worked with the University of Bath to develop sustainable construction techniques including an innovative prefabricated hemp-lime system on its proposed £1.2million, 350m² ‘bio-based’ 4 bedroom Passivhaus in Ben Knowle Hill, Somerset. The house will provide a valuable educational resource, as it is planned to be monitored post-completion, by the University of Bath, to inform world-leading research into low carbon construction techniques and materials.

The private dwelling is located in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Forms such as barns, church towers and lean-tos are referenced by a design that places the building firmly in its setting and suggests that it has grown over a long period of time. According to the practice, the scheme was granted NPPF paragraph 55 planning consent without difficulty and with the enthusiastic support of local planning officers.

This is a fascinating project in so many ways - from addressing a beautiful yet sensitive site, to working with the University of Bath on pioneering sustainable construction techniques. I hope it will play its park in raising the standards of rural architecture in the UK, and inform sustainable construction more generally.

Anthony Hudson, Director Hudson Architects

 Burcott Minor: Hudson Architects

13th August 2015

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