Loch Lomond social housing fights fuel poverty with Passivhaus
Planning has been approved for the first social housing scheme in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park which aims to adopt the Passivhaus standard as a key strategy for addressing fuel poverty and preserving the natural environment.
The Drymen development at Conic Way and Montrose Way, set amongst the sweeping landscape of rural Scotland, includes 15 Passivhaus affordable homes designed by PHT members ECD Architects.
With a key focus to lower costs for residents whilst reducing environmental impact, aiming for Passivhaus standard will ensure both long-term affordability and energy-efficiency. By integrating the Passivhaus methodology into the design, the amount of energy required for heating would decrease by up to 90%, and reduce the total energy usage by around 70%.
By adopting the Passivhaus standard we are ensuring that we are protecting residents from rising fuel costs. These residents will be returning to a brand-new house, with very low energy bills yet excellent levels of thermal comfort.
Jennifer Rooney, ECD Architects
Quote originally cited in Cruden Building: 13 March 2021
Key statsUnits: 15 semi-detached & terraced houses Project value: £2.2M Predicted air tightness: 0.5/h@50Pa Project stage: Planning approved |
The scheme includes a mixture of terraced bungalows and semi-detached 2-storey homes. Orientated to maximise solar gains in living spaces, the homes will also have solar PVs installed on the roof; two key strategies for reducing both electricity bills for lighting and heating.
The insulation in the building fabric will be increased to achieve optimum thermal performance, with triple-glazed low-E windows with high performance frames to irradicate drafts. Not only this, but the Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) system will ensure efficient ventilation to maintain high levels of indoor air quality, making each home comfortable and healthy throughout the year.
Key teamClient: Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association Architect: ECD Architects Contractors: Cruden Building Construction Consultants: TCS Construction Consultants |
With planning approved, the social housing scheme is set to start on site soon. We look forward to seeing the progress of the project over the coming months.
Hanover joins Orkney Housing Association, West of Scotland Housing Association, Eildon Housing Association, Nith Valley LEAF Trust (NVLT) and Argyll Community Housing Association as one of the first handful of housing associations in Scotland to implement Passivhaus standards in social and affordable housing. Check our Passivhaus social housing campaign for more case studies, and a list of which councils/ housing associations have completed them.
Further information
Conic Way and Montrose Way Passivhaus Homes
Passivhaus Social Housing: Maximising benefits, minimising costs
Cruden Building: Cruden Building start work on first social housing development built to Passivhaus standards-13 March 2021
LABM: Hanover Scotland gets go-ahead for first green social housing development-12 March 2021
Design & Build UK: Hanover Scotland gets go-ahead for first green social housing development- 10 March 2021