Encon Associates embark on Passivhaus project

Encon Associates Director aims for Passivhaus standard Self-Build Home

Living and breathing the sustainable environment makes it hard to separate home life from work life. Encon Associates director, Glenn Miles, has brought his work life home! With a planning application in for the demolition of one building and the renovation of the second building with extensions, to create a large family house, this is set to be an exciting prospect. Located in the unspoilt, leafy village of Woodborough on the outskirts of Nottingham, the development will breathe life back into this period cottage that overlooks open fields.

The Passivhaus Design

Designed by AM2 Architects in Nottingham, our Passivhaus project is set to be visually pleasing, whilst also have a minimal environmental impact. With views overlooking this open countryside, the build looks to sit well inside it's natural environment! Externally the design is stunning, using materials such as Larch Timber Cladding, Black Timber Cladding, and stone cladding. 

So, what is Passivhaus/ Passive House?

The germans call is Passivhaus, or we would call it Passive House, but whichever way you look at it, it is a building standard that aims to “reduce the requirement for space heating and cooling” (1), all the while forming a space that has high-quality indoor air quality and comfort levels. The key element to Passivhaus is minimal energy for heating and cooling, come summer or winter months. Passivhaus is required to meet very specific criteria, such as a maximum air tightness of 0.6 air changes per hour at 50 pascals (2).

January 2016 Update  

Having acquired the site, and a full planning application submitted, you can see from the photos below that there is some work to be done. We will be monitoring the project and reporting systematic updates throughout the course. With the family currently living on-site since December 2016, this project is set to get some momentum, once plans are agreed and finalised. The building is still in 'as bought' condition, but the land has started to be cleared.

The main building will be renovated, whilst the second building is to be demolished. This project will increase the square footage from the original footprint quite considerably, keeping the original main building, and expanding into a large luxurious family home.

More updates to come in due course.

References:

(1) - https://www.bre.co.uk/

(2) -  http://www.passiv.de/