Kiss House launches “cutting edge” turnkey passive houses

Three leading firms operating in the sustainable building and passive house sectors have joined forces to launch Kiss House, a new concept in architect-designed, turnkey housing. Kiss House is available in two-bed, three-bed and four-bed options, all built to the passive house standard.

‘3D textbook building’ opens in Ballymun

Europe’s first purpose-built ‘3D textbook’ building has opened at the Rediscovery Centre in the old boiler house at Ballymun, which recently won the Green Building Award at the 2017 Green Awards.

Bow Tie & Beattie collaborate on 3-storey London passive house

Leading passive house contractor Bow Tie and build system provider Beattie Passive have begun collaboration on a series of passive house projects in London and surrounding areas, with Bow Tie recently supplying labour for the erection of a three storey Beattie Passive house in Clapham, South London.

UK’s first energy-positive classroom opens its doors

The UK’s first energy positive classroom has recently opened at Swansea University. Built by Swansea University’s Specific Innovation and Knowledge Centre, the Active Classroom generates, stores and releases its own solar energy.

Ireland’s largest passive scheme achieves world-leading airtightness

The first airtightness test has taken place at phase three of the Silken Park development at Citywest, which is set to be Ireland’s largest residential passive house scheme. A diagnostic initial blower door test, done when the external envelope was completed on one of the development’s show houses, took place on December 12 and delivered a worldbeating result of 0.16 air changes per hour (ACH), well inside the passive house standard of 0.6 ACH and the best result this magazine has ever noted for a masonry building.

Integrated passive services installed at Shropshire naked house scheme

Prefab passive house specialists naked house Ltd recently completed the installation of a fully integrated passive house services system at their Marsh Road project in Shropshire. MVHR and solar thermal system are a standard part of the naked house system, with extra optional modules to enhance the building’s potential to save the occupants’ running costs. At Marsh Road, this included a log burner, thermal store and central logic control system. 

Linham brings low energy social housing to Fairview

Low energy building contractor and developer Linham Construction is currently on site with a new five-unit development in Fairview, Co Dublin. The project will feature five ultra low energy houses, all of which have already been sold to a housing association to provide for social housing needs in the area. 

Frankfurt to build world’s first passive hospital

Work is underway on the first hospital in the world to be built to the passive house standard, in the Höchst district of Frankfurt. The previous clinic on the site will be replaced by a new passive building with 666 beds and ten operating theatres planned over six floors. The Passive House Institute provided comprehensive support throughout the planning phase and will continue to do so during the building’s construction.