Barge Close renovation aims for EnerPHit

The Barge is a retrofit of a detached 19^th Century cottage with extremely poor thermal & energy performance, suffering from condensation, mould, and poor comfort. The project began in June 2017 and is currently amid an 11 month build programme, with completion & EnerPHit certification (certified by components route) expected in Autumn 2018.

The Barge

The self-build renovation is undertaken by Architect Claire Jamieson, a certified Passivhaus designer currently practicing at Shaw & Jagger Architects, frustrated with the lack of clients willing to pursue the Passivhaus Standard. She decided to use her own prospective home as a model example of what can be achieved with old properties & limited budgets. Although Claire has designed many Passivhaus schemes, this is the first on site.

The property is secluded in a walled garden with a southerly aspect, 2 degrees off due south and very little north, west or eastern aspect. There is no overshadowing to the south and thus it lent itself very well to refurbishment to EnerPHit standards. I am passionate about Passivhaus and wish to use my own future home as a demonstrative model of what is achievable with old buildings in constrained spaces on a very limited budget. It is difficult to find clients who feel they can commit wholly to the refurbishments of their home to Passivhaus Standards and I hope that my own self-build will provide people with an insight and encouragement as well as offering a place for them to visit and experience the benefits.

Claire Jamieson, Shaw & Jagger Architects

Construction

The cottage is within a walled garden at the Canal Basin in Ripon and thus has many complex and varied wall constructions to the adjoining neighbours property, with limited access.

The Barge proposed south elevation

The existing construction is an original early 1800’s solid brick and cobble two up two down which had a 1970’s west extension and a garage and outbuilding to the east. The west end is predominately being re-built with a Pigmento Green zinc façade and the east end, as a rambling single storey area of large surface area, now rebuilt as a garden room, is outside of the Passivhaus 126m²treated floor area, but within the thermal envelope.

Several wall constructions, floor to ceiling restrictions from existing footings and planning height limits add to the retrofit challenges. This is one to watch, as a monitoring programme has also been planned.