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Slope and glory
When architect Tony Godwin wandered into a seminar on the passive house standard at Ecobuild ten years ago, it was the start of a journey that would eventually see him design and build his own passive home on a sloping site — and learn some hard lessons along the way to achieving a comfortable, ultra-low energy family home with tiny energy bills.
Passive House Plus launches sustainable building web directory
Passive House Plus has launched a beta version of its new content-rich web platform for the sustainable building sector, Marketplace+.
Marketplace news
Versatile appoints passive house specialist
Michael McCarthy, a certified trainer with the Passive House Academy and an international authority on the passive house standard as lead passive house certifier on the MosArt team, has joined Versatile as the new ventilation specialist within its heating, cooling & ventilation division.
23-08-2018 Marketplace
Stunning Bath home features Urban Front oak doors
A stylish new low energy home within a World Heritage Site on the outskirts of Bath is one of the latest projects to feature an e98 passiv front door from UK manufacturer Urban Front.
14-08-2018 Marketplace
Saint-Gobain launches free nZEB training courses
The Saint-Gobain Ireland Technical Academy is adding to its existing training portfolio by launching a series of free nZEB modular courses. Starting this July, these innovative nZEB courses will offer those working in construction in Ireland a chance to upskill, free of charge, in an increasingly regulated area of the construction industry.
14-08-2018 Marketplace
Passive Sills gets Agrément cert
Passive Sills, the Cork-based manufacturer of insulated window sills, has now received an NSAI Agrément certificate for its passive sills system. The company also told Passive House Plus that it was expecting to get its British Board of Agrément certificate imminently, too.
13-08-2018 Marketplace
Hi-therm++ wins construction product of the year
Keystone’s Hi-therm+ lintel has won construction product of the year at the 2018 Irish Construction Industry Awards.
09-08-2018 Marketplace
Landmark West Yorkshire mill rebuilt with Nudura ICF
Corn Mill Farm, a landmark old mill building in West Yorkshire, has undergone an extensive rebuild and renovation using Nudura insulated concrete formwork (ICF) panels to bring it up to modern standards of comfort and energy efficiency, while retaining its original appearance.
09-08-2018 Marketplace
New non-domestic Part L will prove a “culture shock” — Net Zero
The new Part L of the building regulations for non-domestic buildings will provide something of a culture shock to the industry, according to Brian Byrne of energy consultancy Net Zero, unless it quickly gets to grip with the new standard.
09-08-2018 Marketplace
MBC blitzes airtight test on latest passive house project
Leading low energy timber frame manufacturer MBC Timber Frame has completed work on another project aiming for the passive house standard.
07-08-2018 Marketplace
News and blogs
Filling the retrofit policy void
The imperative to engage in evidence-based deep retrofit grows by the day. With the UK government dragging its heels, Peter Rickaby finds signs of hope in local initiatives, and in burgeoning Irish efforts.
The House of Tomorrow, 1933
In his third column on visionary eco-buildings of the 20th century, Dr Marc Ó Riain looks at the pioneering passive solar designs of Fred Keck.
Government failing to act on radon in rented houses
Consultation on rental standards also criticised.
Breaking the mould in Thamesmead
The net effect of poor insulation levels, underheating and under-ventilation in buildings poses a major public health threat. Peter Rickaby describes one pioneering London project that’s taking a practical, methodical – and scalable – approach to solving the problem.
Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink
Inertia with state-owned land is exacerbating Ireland’s housing crisis, argues housing commentator and architect Mel Reynolds, in spite of the state possessing enough zoned land to make a major dent in solving the problem.
nZEB Ireland launched at national conference
nZEB Ireland, an independent not-for-profit organization established to fill the knowledge gap on the EU’s nearly zero energy building (nZEB) standard in Ireland, has been launched.
New IGBC scheme measures carbon footprint of building materials
The Irish Green Building Council has launched a new programme to measure the carbon footprint of construction products. The Environmental Product Declaration Ireland Programme (EPD Ireland) allows manufacturers to publish independently verified information about the environmental footprint of their products.
DLR social housing gets Home Performance Index silver cert
Irish Green Building Council has awarded the exacting Home Performance Index silver certification to a multi-unit social housing development in Dún Laoghaire.
Ecological host UK-wide airtightness seminars
To celebrate BBA approval of its Pro Clima Intello Plus intelligent airtight membrane, Ecological Building Systems and Pro Clima have announced a seminar tour that will bring airtightness insights to five locations around the UK.
Aru Joinery wins sustainable building award
Dublin-based Aru Joinery has picked up the award for best window and doors installation company at Build magazine’s 2018 Sustainable Building Awards.
Better housing means fewer A&E admissions, study finds
Dampness reduction via better ventilation seen to be key
The slow, heavy gears of deep retrofit start to turn
At SEAI's 2018 deep retrofit conference, there are signs that action to overhaul Ireland's outdated, inefficient building stock is gradually moving forward
Dublin to host conference on rapid-build nZEB construction
A new one-day conference set to be held in Dublin next month will look at the twin challenges of solving Ireland's housing crisis with rapid-build construction, while at the same time meeting new standards for nearly zero energy buildings (nZEBs).
The prebiotic passive house
As understanding grows of the importance to human health of good bacteria in our environment, and new hospitals in the US start to undergo ‘prebiotic’ treatment, Dr Peter Rickaby asks how long it will be before microbiology becomes a core part of building design.
1948: The Dover Sun House
In his second column on visionary eco-buildings of the 20th century, Dr Marc Ó Riain looks at the Dover Sun House, which used a pioneering salt solution to capture and store solar energy
Is building life cycle assessment about to become easy?
Establishing a building’s overall sustainability ultimately means quantifying the impacts of the materials used to construct it. Up till now, that’s been a laborious, time-consuming process. That might be about to change, explains Irish Green Building Council CEO Pat Barry.
Planning granted for major passive scheme in South Wales
An innovative scheme to develop the site of the former Caerphilly Magistrates Court in South Wales into 38 new social homes built to passive house standard has been granted planning permission by Caerphilly Council.
Green finance must be longterm & sustainable — Ecology
Leading green lender Ecology Building Society has welcomed the publication of the Green Finance Taskforce’s report to the UK government on boosting green finance, but warned that any measures to stimulate green lending must be long-term and sustainable.
Concerns raised about ventilation in proposed Part F & L change
Concerns have been raised that proposed changes to Irish building regulations — designed to bring Ireland in line with EU requirements that new homes be ‘nearly zero energy buildings’ (nZEBs) from the end of 2020 — could encourage sub-standard approaches to ventilation and airtightness.
Green Room 2018 to focus on nZEB and corporate sustainability on 2 May
The Irish Green Building Council's annual Green Room event takes place this year on 2 May in the Alex Hotel, Dublin, and this year’s conference focuses on the imminent arrival of nearly zero energy building standards, and on the role of 'corporate action in our transition to a low carbon built environment’.
Disastrous Preston retrofit scheme remains unresolved
A disastrous failed external insulation contract run under a government energy saving scheme has affected up to 390 homes in Preston with water penetration, mould and damp.
Why housing isn't viable
It is simply not possible for developers to build housing in cities like Dublin and sell it for a reasonable price without making a loss, writes architect Mel Reynolds — instead, we need meaningful affordable housing schemes.
A brave new world: Oil and architecture
Innovations in low energy building were spurred in the 20th century by oil crises, but the political impetus for meaningful change receded once the crises ended, explains Dr Marc Ó Riain, bringing an attendant failure to set meaningful building regulations.
Policy for zero, or zero policy?
The penny is starting to drop that profound energy saving efforts in buildings – right up to zero emissions levels – are both necessary and urgent if the UK is to honour its climate change targets. So what’s holding up meaningful action, asks Peter Rickaby?
