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Drawing Lumber with SketchUp Series Part 5: How to Draw I Joists and LVL's

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Newspapers blow insulation on I beams

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Aislamientos Guadalajara: Tu Empresa de Aislamientos Térmicos en Guadalajara

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Aislamientos Térmicos por Insuflado

El aislamiento térmico mediante inyección representa una técnica de última generación para optimizar la eficiencia energética en cualquier tipo de edificación. El procedimiento implica la introducción de materiales aislantes específicos en las cámaras de aire existentes en paredes, cubiertas o suelos.

La elección de los materiales es fundamental y varía según los requerimientos de cada proyecto. Se pueden emplear desde lana de roca de alta densidad hasta celulosa proveniente de reciclaje; cada uno con cualidades particulares para maximizar el rendimiento del aislamiento. Esta técnica conforma una barrera que minimiza la transferencia de calor, lo que se traduce en un ambiente más confortable y un ahorro considerable en los gastos de energía.

Beneficios del Aislamiento Térmico Inyectado

Confort Mejorado: Mantiene la temperatura interior constante, suprimiendo corrientes de aire frías y calor excesivo.

Ahorro Energético Significativo: Reduce de forma notable la necesidad de utilizar sistemas de climatización, lo que disminuye las facturas energéticas.

Instalación Ágil y Limpia: A diferencia de otros sistemas, la inyección es rápida, genera escasa suciedad y no requiere grandes obras.

Adaptabilidad Versátil: Se adapta a cualquier clase de construcción, desde viviendas antiguas hasta edificios modernos.

Aislamiento Acústico Adicional: Atenúa la transmisión de ruidos externos, generando un ambiente más apacible y relajante.

Ecológico y Sostenible: Empleamos materiales reciclados y respetuosos con el medio ambiente, contribuyendo a su protección.

Larga Durabilidad Garantizada: El aislamiento inyectado conserva su eficacia a lo largo del tiempo, sin requerir mantenimiento.

¿Cómo se Lleva a Cabo la Instalación del Aislamiento Térmico por Inyección?

Nuestro equipo de profesionales realiza un análisis previo para determinar las necesidades concretas de tu inmueble. A continuación, se efectúan pequeñas perforaciones estratégicas en las paredes o techos, a través de las cuales se introduce el material aislante mediante inyección.

Utilizamos equipos de última generación que aseguran una distribución uniforme del material, eliminando puentes térmicos y garantizando un aislamiento óptimo. Finalmente, sellamos cuidadosamente las perforaciones para recuperar la integridad estética de tu hogar.

¿Por Qué el Aislamiento Térmico por Insuflado es la Alternativa Ideal?

El aislamiento por insuflado ofrece una combinación única de eficacia, rapidez y sostenibilidad ambiental. Es una inversión inteligente que mejora el confort de tu hogar, reduce tus gastos de energía y contribuye al cuidado del planeta.

Nuestro equipo de expertos te asesorará en todo el proceso, desde la selección del material apropiado hasta la instalación final, asegurando resultados óptimos y de larga duración.

Tipos de Aislantes Térmicos para el Insuflado

Lana Lana de Roca: Elaborada a partir de roca volcánica, ofrece una excelente resistencia al fuego y al agua, además de un elevado poder aislante.

Lana Mineral: Fabricada con vidrio reciclado, representa una opción económica y eficiente para optimizar el aislamiento térmico y acústico.

Celulosa: Producida a partir de papel reciclado, constituye una alternativa ecológica y sostenible con un buen comportamiento aislante.

Poliestireno Expandido (EPS): Ligero y resistente a la humedad, resulta idóneo para zonas con climas extremos.

Aislamientos Térmicos con Cartón-Yeso/Trasdosado

El revestimiento aislante con paneles de yeso laminado (tipo Pladur o Knauf) constituye una alternativa efectiva para optimizar el confort y la eficiencia energética de tu vivienda. El procedimiento implica la incorporación de un material aislante a la pared existente, seguido de su recubrimiento con placas de yeso, generando así una barrera que reduce al mínimo la transmisión de calor.

Este método resulta especialmente adecuado para proyectos de reforma, ya que no demanda obras de gran envergadura y posibilita la mejora del aislamiento sin modificar la estructura principal del inmueble.

Beneficios del Aislamiento Térmico con Placas de Yeso (Pladur)

Confort Térmico Optimizado: Preserva una temperatura estable en el interior, atenuando las variaciones provocadas por las condiciones climáticas externas.

Ahorro Energético Significativo: Disminuye el consumo de energía al aminorar la necesidad de utilizar sistemas de climatización, tanto de calefacción como de refrigeración.

Insonorización Aumentada: Eleva el nivel de aislamiento acústico de la vivienda, disminuyendo la sonoridad proveniente del exterior o de otras estancias.

Estética Perfeccionada: Proporciona un acabado terso y uniforme susceptible de ser pintado o decorado según las preferencias personales.

Sencillez de Instalación: El proceso es rápido y limpio, minimizando las incomodidades durante el proceso de renovación.

Aislamientos Térmicos de Suelos, Techos y Cubiertas

Un aislamiento apropiado en suelos, techos y cubiertas resulta fundamental para asegurar el confort térmico y acústico en tu vivienda. Estas áreas representan los principales puntos de fuga de calor durante el invierno, así como de entrada de calor durante el estío, de manera que un buen aislamiento puede influir notablemente en tu consumo energético.

¿Cuál es el Procedimiento para la Instalación del Aislamiento Térmico en Techos, Suelos y Cubiertas?

La ejecución de la instalación difiere en función del área que se pretende aislar:

Techos: El aislamiento puede incorporarse en el falso techo o bien en la cubierta, utilizando materiales como lana mineral, poliestireno extruido o espuma de poliuretano.

Suelos: Es posible instalar el aislamiento bajo el solado, empleando materiales como poliestireno extruido o láminas bituminosas.

Cubiertas: El aislamiento puede ser colocado sobre la cubierta ya existente o debajo de la misma, utilizando materiales como lana de roca, poliestireno expandido o paneles tipo sándwich.

Aislamientos Térmicos de Cajones de Persianas

Los huecos de las persianas constituyen puntos vulnerables en el aislamiento de un hogar, facilitando la entrada de aire frío durante el invierno y de calor en el verano. Acondicionar térmicamente estos espacios representa una acción simple y efectiva para optimizar el confort y disminuir los gastos energéticos.

Beneficios de Aislamiento Térmico en los Huecos de Persianas

Supresión de Corrientes de Aire: Sella las fisuras e impide el paso de aire frío o caliente hacia el interior.

Mejora del Confort Ambiental: Contribuye a mantener una temperatura más homogénea en el interior de la vivienda.

Reducción de la Contaminación Acústica: Disminuye la transmisión de ruidos provenientes del exterior.

Disminución del Consumo Energético: Reduce la necesidad de recurrir a sistemas de calefacción y refrigeración.

Aislamientos Térmicos de Techos de Garaje

El acondicionamiento térmico del techo del garaje resulta necesario para prevenir la fuga de calor durante los meses fríos y el recalentamiento durante el verano. Adicionalmente, un aislamiento eficaz puede atenuar el ruido proveniente del garaje y aumentar el confort en las viviendas que se encuentran situadas en la parte superior.

Beneficios de la Aplicación de Lana de Roca Mezclada con Agua y Cemento en el Techo del Garaje

Resistencia Ignífuga: La combinación de lana de roca, agua y cemento otorga una destacada protección frente a incendios.

Aislamiento Térmico Eficaz: La lana de roca disminuye la transmisión de calor, contribuyendo a mantener una temperatura más estable en el interior del garaje.

Aislamiento Acústico Mejorado: Reduce la sonoridad que se origina en el garaje.

Durabilidad Extendida: La mezcla de agua y cemento proporciona una capa robusta y de larga duración.

Aislamientos Térmicos con Revestimientos Termoaislantes

Las pinturas termoaislantes representan una opción innovadora para optimizar el aislamiento térmico de una vivienda sin la necesidad de acometer reformas. Estos recubrimientos se aplican directamente sobre las paredes, formando una capa aislante que disminuye la transmisión del calor.

Beneficios del Aislamiento mediante Pintura Termoaislante

Aplicación Sencilla: No exige la realización de obras ni de cambios sustanciales en la vivienda.

Confort Mejorado: Facilita el mantenimiento de una temperatura más constante en el interior del inmueble.

Disminución de la Condensación: Previene la aparición de humedades y de moho.

Aislamiento Térmico Eficaz: Reduce las fugas de calor durante el invierno, así como la entrada de calor durante el verano.

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Servicios | Aislamientos Guadalajara: Tu Empresa de Aislamientos Térmicos en Guadalajara

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Aislamientos Guadalajara ofrece SERVICIOS DE AISLAMIENTOS TÉRMICOS EN GUADALAJARA (AZUQUECA DE HENARES, EL CASAR, VILLANUEVA DE LA TORRE, ALOVERA, MARCHAMALO, CABANILLAS DEL CAMPO, YUNQUERA DE HENARES) ¡SOMOS TU MEJOR SOLUCIÓN!

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The Studio is a 7.3 x 3.1m open-plan space, ideal for Yoga-type group activities or for office use, seating eight people comfortably.

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Mobile passivhaus

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Please click here if you are not redirected within a few seconds.

Nov 15, 2021 · Bellingham, Washington is home to the smallest certified Phius project. This tiny Passive House ...
Duration: 33:37
Posted: Nov 15, 2021

Sep 7, 2016 · This small home on wheels is smart, modern, incorporates passive house principles and was ...
Duration: 11:19
Posted: Sep 7, 2016

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This is a Passive House, but not certified. The highlights include: cork exterior insulation; dense packed cellulose for all walls, floors, and roofs; Zender…

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https://www.wienerberger.co.uk/products/clay-blocks.html

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$0.00 - $2,438.00

Tabique industrializado de barro extruído de alta resistencia

Recomendado para la construcción de muros que requieren ligereza y velocidad de avance, su eficiencia estructural permite mejor comportamiento sismo - resistente.

Medidas de 15 x 12 x 24 cms.

Ancho de muro: 15 cms.

Pzas por m2: 30.77 con junta

Peso por pza: 4.00 kg

Descripción

Cada perforación penetra mortero formando "llaves de cortante" con acabado estriado para la aplicaciòn de revestimientos.

Se coloca igual que un tabique rojo tradicional, pero con mayor rendimiento y eficiencia estructural

Posee propiedades de aislamiento térmico

Resistencia a compresión simple: 150 kg/cm2

Cumple con la norma no. 2 NMX-C404-ONNCEE

El producto se vende por tarima con 192 pzas y se surte bajo pedido desde fábrica ubicada en Tetla Tlax. o desde cualquier Centro de Distribución en: CD MX, Guadalajara, León, Morelia, Puebla, Querétaro, Toluca y Veracruz.
ver ficha técnica

Información adicional

Peso

N/D

Dimensiones

N/D

Precio por CEDI

Fábrica, CD México, Guadalajara, León, Morelia, Puebla, Querétaro, Toluca, Veracruz

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0.00 - $2,438.00 Tabique industrializado de barro extruído de alta resistencia Recomendado para la construcción de muros que requieren ligereza y velocidad de avance, su eficiencia estructural permite mejor comportamiento sismo - resistente.

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See Sustainable Design Network's activity on LinkedIn

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Sign in or join now to see posts like this one and more.

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Airtight vapour control membranes and windtight breather membranes from Ecological Building Systems have provided a complete wind and watertight seal, as well as reducing the risk of condensation and mould for a unique mobile 'Tiny House' being built at a community riding facility in Lamberton, East Berwickshire.

'Tiny House' will provide overnight accommodation for guests to Eat Sleep Ride, allowing them to combine their visit with a range of activities relating to horses, wellbeing and outdoor leisure.

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Airtight vapour control membranes and windtight breather membranes from Ecological Building Systems have provided a complete wind and watertight seal, as well as reducing the risk of condensation and mould for a unique mobile 'Tiny House' being built at a community riding facility in Lamberton, East Berwickshire.'Tiny House' will provide overnight accommodation for guests to Eat Sleep Ride, allowing them to combine their visit with a range of activities relating to horses, wellbeing and outdoor leisure.

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https://www.guardianglass.com/mx/es/our-glass/sunguard-solar/comfort-light

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Misión

Satisfacer las necesidades de nuestros clientes en Distribuidora de Cristales y Aluminios Luis y sus alrededores, mediante un servicio profesional de distribución de aluminio y cristal único de la región.

Ser la empresa líder en la distribución de aluminio y cristal único de la región, gracias a la excelente calidad de nuestro servicio y atención al cliente.

* Responsabilidad

* Honestidad

* Calidez

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distribuidora de cristales y aluminios luis

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Distribuidora de Cristales y Aluminios Luis es una empresa con más de 30 años de experiencia en la distribución de aluminio y cristal en Tuxtepec, Oaxaca

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Con el objetivo de impulsar formas más eficientes de aislar y proteger las envolventes de los edificios, el equipo chileno de Rootman ha desarrollado Thermoroot; un aislante biodegradable y 100% natural fabricado en base a raíces sin modificaciones genéticas ni aditivos químicos. Estas raíces conforman un Colchón Radicular (CR) que además de aislar térmica y acústicamente los muros, suelos y techos del edificio, entrega una altísima resistencia al fuego.

La fabricación de este colchón demora entre 10 y 15 días y se desarrolla al interior de cámaras aisladas, donde se produce el cultivo hidropónico de semillas de grano de avena o cebada, utilizando bandejas que definen el espesor requerido de las raíces. Este proceso de germinación puede realizarse en cuaquier clima y ubicación geográfica, dejando una baja huella ecológica al presentar requerimientos mínimos de energía y agua.

En cuanto a la resistencia frente a incendios, su aplicación en la envolvente de un edificio le entrega a sus habitantes un margen de 1 hora para abandonar los recintos antes de consumirse totalmente.

'El poliestireno tarda tres segundos en quemarse, la fibra de vidrio tarda 15 segundos y el poliuretano 1 minuto. El colchón radicular, en cambio, comienza recién a quemarse después de 60 minutos de exponerse a las llamas', aseguran sus creadores.

El producto ha sido patentado internacionalmente y puede sustituir totalmente a aislantes convencionales como el Poliestireno Expandido, el Poliuretano o la Lana Mineral, buscando convertirse en una alternativa efectiva frente a aislantes naturales de alto costo, aislantes sintéticos derivados del petróleo, o a otros de carácter tóxico, dañinos para el medio ambiente y la salud.

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Este 'colchón de raíces' entrega aislamiento térmico, absorción acústica y resistencia al fuego al mismo tiempo

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Un aislante biodegradable y 100% natural fabricado en base a raíces sin modificaciones genéticas ni aditivos químicos.

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Vidrio aislante - VacuMax™ de Vitro Arquitectónico

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Disponible en

Uso

Aislantes térmicos óptimos contra el frío y el calor

Aplicaciones

Principalmente muros, cimientos, techos (incluidas las terrazas y techos verdes) y estacionamientos

Características

Gran resistencia térmica, propiedades resistentes al fuego, a la humedad y a la pudrición. Ligeros y fácil de manejar

Presentación / envase

Certificación

FM, C UL US, CSA A123.21 STANDARD, LEED, CAN / ULC, ASTM, GREENGUARD Gold

Más sobre este producto

, especialista en soluciones para impermeabilización y aislamiento térmico y acústico, ofrece una amplia gama de soluciones para aislantes térmicos ideales para sectores comercial, residencial, e industrial y para todo tipo de clima.

SOPRA-ISO

Panel aislante de espuma de poliisocianurato compuesto de un núcleo de estructura celular laminado con un revestimiento orgánico reforzado con fibra de vidrio. Puede adherirse con asfalto caliente, adhesivo DUOTACK o fijarse mecánicamente.
Beneficios Especificaciones técnicas

SOPRA XPS

Línea de paneles de aislamiento térmico de espuma de poliestireno extruido rígido con solapa o bordes cuadrados en sus cuatro lados. Se compone de espuma de celda cerrada y se utilizan principalmente como aislamiento térmico para paredes, cimientos y techos invertidos. También se pueden utilizar en aplicaciones de ingeniería civil, como debajo de carreteras y pistas de aterrizaje de aeropuertos.
Beneficios

Los paneles SOPRA-XPS son hechos con más del 25% de contenido reciclado

Alto valor R (R-5 / pulgada) además de ser constante: mantiene su rendimiento térmico y mecánico durante toda la vida del edificio

Excepcional resistencia al agua y a la humedad. A prueba de pudrición, resistente al moho y a las bacterias

Duradero, no se ve afectado por las condiciones climáticas durante el almacenamiento y la instalación

Gran resistencia a la compresión, de las más altas del mercado

Especificaciones técnicas

Tamaño / Medidas: varía según el panel

Certificación: ASTM, LEED GREENGUARD Gold, CAN / ULC

Valor R (Resistencia térmica): 5.0 por pulgada

SOPRAROCK

Gama de paneles rígidos de lana de roca para aislamiento que destacan gracias a su extremadamente alta resistencia al fuego, con un punto de fusión de más de 1177 ° C (2150 ° F); sus características a prueba de pudrición; su valor R, que gracias a su estabilidad dimensional, es siempre constante; su alto contenido de materiales reciclados y sus inigualables propiedades acústicas.
Beneficios

Extremadamente resistente al fuego

Estabilidad dimensional

Repelentes al agua

Valor R estable

Contenido reciclado

Especificaciones técnicas

Tamaño / Medidas: 1.2 m de largo x 1.2 de ancho

Certificación: CSA A123.21 STANDARD, FM, LEED, ULC

Punto de fusión: más de 1177 ° C (2150 ° F)

Valor R (Resistencia térmica): 3.8

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Soprema, empresa especialista en productos de impermeabilización y aislamiento, presenta los nuevos productos como mecanismos de aislamiento PIR (poliisocianurato), fabricados en Canadá.

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Dentro de los proyectos de arquitectura y diseño, es necesaria la especificación de aislación térmica en la estructura. ¿Por qué es necesaria la aislación térmica? Conocida como la capacidad de los materiales para enfrentar el paso de calor o frío por conducción, la aislación juega un rol clave en el rendimiento de las edificaciones. De acuerdo a la norma oficial mexicana, los requerimientos de aislamiento se hacen fundamentales para garantizar el confort térmico del interior.

En búsqueda de nuevas soluciones para afrontar las variaciones de temperatura, surge una nueva fórmula de aislamiento de alto rendimiento: Foamular®. Adaptable a distintas aplicaciones de construcción, la nueva propuesta se destaca por su durabilidad, versatilidad y resistencia.

Características de Foamular®

El conocimiento y aplicación de la fórmula se hace indispensable para arquitectos, ingenieros y constructores a la hora de seleccionar la mejor opción para el desarrollo de la estructura. Conservando las temperaturas internas y protegiendo contra los cambios de temperatura exteriores por medio de un aislamiento térmico de espuma rígida de poliestireno extruido XPS en paneles de textura lisa y/o apuntillada, con celdas cerradas la estrategia se vuelve resistente a la humedad. Así, aún cuando se encuentra expuesta a agua estancada, suelo húmedo o similares, mantiene su valor R, el cual mide la resistencia térmica del material.

¿Por qué preferir la nueva fórmula?

Dependiendo del tipo de proyecto, la aislación se adapta a una variedad de espesores y resistencia a la compresión, la cual da paso a la protección de techos, cimientos y muros. Su resistencia a la humedad, durabilidad -y resistencia a cargas de diseño con poca deformación- fácil instalación, estabilidad en valor R aún cuando se ve expuesto a la humedad o delaminación del revestimiento, la sustentabilidad adquirida por créditos LEED® y una versatilidad de usos se presentan como las características principales que hacen destacar la actuación del material en la arquitectura y construcción.

¿Dónde utilizar la fórmula?

Por medio de una amplia gama de espesores, tamaños y resistencias que responden a las necesidades de distintas áreas de proyecto, tanto comerciales, industriales como residenciales.

Dentro del sector comercial, se reconoce la aplicación del sistema en tiendas de conveniencia, hoteles, departamentos y restaurantes. Donde se permite el aislamiento térmico de losa, muros -de fachada aislada, ventilada y sistema EIFS- y en cámaras de refrigeración. Antes de definir el correcto sistema de aislamiento, se recomienda la revisión de la especificación constructiva y el clima de la zona geográfica del proyecto.

Para el aislamiento de naves industriales, áreas de carga y desembarque o bien oficinas, el segmento industrial también hace uso de la nueva estrategia. Para naves industriales, se aplica el aislante en los techos mediante un sistema de cubierta con membrana o tipo 'sándwich'.

Tanto para viviendas nuevas como existentes, el sistema se adapta a diferentes sistemas constructivos. Dentro del área residencial, es comúnmente aplicado en losas y muros interiores y exteriores. Por ejemplo, para las zonas de mayor exposición a la radiación solar, se recomienda un aislamiento de muros exteriores.

Junto con ello, el sistema de aislamiento térmico se adapta a más usos como transporte refrigerado, cuarto frío, fachadas ventiladas, granjas, infraestructura aérea, contenedores, pistas de hielo, molduras, nivelación de pisos, cimentación/subestructura, piso radiante y también fachadas prefabricadas.

Las variaciones en resistencias a la compresión permiten adaptar la solución a distintas zonas climáticas, resistiendo aplicaciones tanto por encima como por debajo del nivel del suelo.

Aplicaciones

La versatilidad de la fórmula permite la aplicación del sistema de aislamiento en distintos escenarios como ensamblajes de cubiertas vegetales, construcción con hormigón o bien para aplicaciones geotécnicas.

Las cubiertas vegetales destacan por la combinación de estética con funcionalidad. Ya sea para potenciar la vegetación o crear espacios de ocio al aire libre, se necesita un diseño y materialidad acorde a la exposición y presiones expuestas. Tras su resistencia al agua, resistencia a la compresión, eficiencia energética y diseño sustentable, la nueva fórmula entra como una solución para el ensamblaje de membrana de techo protegido.

Para su uso en la construcción con hormigón, el aislamiento se incorpora en diseños funcionales como innovadores. Para lograr un aislamiento eficiente, los paneles se intercalan entre el encofrado de hormigón interior y exterior, eliminando la necesidad de enrasar. Sin necesidad de puentes térmicos, la estrategia funciona como aislamiento continuo, reduciendo la pérdida de energía. Su clasificación de resistencia al fuego ASTM E119 encaja junto con el perfil resistente al fuego del hormigón prefabricado.

Con respecto a las aplicaciones geotécnicas, la nueva fórmula entrega gran resistencia, durabilidad y eficiencia de materiales. Al emplear la estrategia en escenarios especializados como pistas de aterrizaje, bajo carreteras o cimientos de edificios, la aislación proporciona valores R estables para enfrentar entornos desafiantes y bajo altas demandas estructurales.

Presencia en proyectos de arquitectura

El uso de sistemas de aislamiento puede ser visto en distintos tipos y usos de edificios. Por ejemplo, en los edificios One World Trade Center en Nueva York, la Universidad Estatal de Kent en Kent o el Museo Nacional de Historia y Cultura Afroamericana en Washington DC. Mediante las estrategias empleadas, se desarrolla un alto rendimiento que conserva la energía, mejora la acústica y facilita la instalación, contribuyendo a la vez a la obtención de créditos LEED®.

Para más información, visita el catálogo de productos.

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Una nueva fórmula de aislamiento adaptable: Foamular®

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Destacada por su durabilidad, versatilidad y resistencia, la nueva estrategia de aislamiento se adapta a distintas aplicaciones en la construcción.

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foundation with AKA insulated raft fundation

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foundation with AKA insulated raft fundation

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Learn about building faster and more thermally efficient foundations for your Passivhaus or low energy build.

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U-Shaped Stair with Landing Calculator — Dimensions and Layouts

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U-shaped staircase calculator can be used to estimate measurements and create detailed plans. This simple tool allows you to calculate rise, run, treads, stringers parameters.

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PHI

GOPA

Capsus

BBVA Mexico

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DE  ESTA MANERA PUEDES CONSTRUIR TU LOSA BARATA POR AUTOCONSTRUCCIÓN CON PETATILLO: DOMOTEJ

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DE  ESTA MANERA PUEDES CONSTRUIR TU LOSA BARATA POR AUTOCONSTRUCCIÓN CON PETATILLO: DOMOTEJ

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 Engineering and Architecture on Instagram: "Gabion wall.

Follow us! :@engineeringandarchitecture

#engineeringandarchitecture #gabion #wall #gabions #muro #parede #gabiones #retaining #soil #ground #excavation #壁 #mechanics #geotechnics #trench #structure #gravel #砂利 #engineering #engineer #architecture #project #Archilovers #civilengineering #geotechnical #geology  #earth #technique #engenharia #construction"

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 Engineering and Architecture on Instagram: "Gabion wall.

Follow us! :@engineeringandarchitecture

#engineeringandarchitecture #gabion #wall #gabions #muro #parede #gabiones #retaining #soil #ground #excavation #壁 #mechanics #geotechnics #trench #structure #gravel #砂利 #engineering #engineer #architecture #project #Archilovers #civilengineering #geotechnical #geology  #earth #technique #engenharia #construction"

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7,607 likes, 26 comments - engineeringandarchitecture on February 16, 2019: "Gabion wall.

Follow us! :@engineeringandarchitecture

#engineeringandarchitecture #gabion #wall ..."

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Bloques Ecológicos | MOC Materiales Orgánicos de Construcción | Guatemala

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¿QUIÉNES SOMOS?

MOC (Materiales Orgánicos de Construcción) es una fábrica de ladrillos Suelo-Cemento que busca cambiar la manera de producir ladrillos y al mismo tiempo construir de forma ecológica. En su fabricación, a diferencia del ladrillo común, los ladrillos MOC son elaborados a base de máquinas de compresión. El proceso de horneado al que el ladrillo tradicional es sometido no existe.

Nuestro ladrillo a la hora de ser implementado puede ahorrar hasta un 40% de los costos a comparación de utilizar el ladrillo tradicional. También demuestra mejoras en aislamiento, resistente a los sismos, a prueba de fuego y el uso mínimo de cemento.

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Bloques Ecológicos | MOC Materiales Orgánicos de Construcción | Guatemala

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Bloques ecológicos, ecobloques, ecoblocks para sus proyectos de construcción de casas, edificios e industrias.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/B6MHqtdpVs-/?igsh=MzY1NDJmNzMyNQ==

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The new issue of Passive House Plus is here

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The new issue of Passive House Plus is here

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Featuring articles on the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the housing crisis and our usual mix of spectacular passive house projects.

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World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal

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Climate Projections

Mean Projections

This page presents Rwanda's projected climate. The Mean Projections page offers CCKP's complete suite of indicators for in-depth analysis into future climate scenarios and potential risks due to changing climates. Data can be investigated as either the projected mean or anomaly (change) and is presented spatially, as a seasonal cycle, time series, or heat plot, which shows seasonal change over long-term time horizons. Data can be analyzed as annual, seasonal, or monthly. You can further tailor your analysis by selecting different projected time periods and Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). SSPs are meant to provide insight into future climates based on defined emissions, mitigation efforts, and development paths.

Indicators are presented as multi-model ensemble, which represent the range and distribution of the most plausible projected outcomes of change in the climate system for a selected SSP. Individual models will be made available soon.

Climate projection data is modeled data from the global climate model compilations of the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Projects (CMIPs), overseen by the World Climate Research Program. Data presented is CMIP6, derived from the Sixth phase of the CMIPs. The CMIPs form the data foundation of the IPCC Assessment Reports. CMIP6 supports the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report. Data is presented at a 0.25º x 0.25º (25km x 25km) resolution.

CCKP continues to add indicators as they are produced to complete currently available selection list.

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World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal

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This page presents Rwanda's projected climate. The Mean Projections page offers CCKP's complete suite of indicators for in-depth analysis into future climate scenarios and potential risks due to changing climates. Data can be investigated as either the projected mean or anomaly (change) and is presented spatially, as a seasonal cycle, time series, or heat plot, which shows seasonal change over long-term time horizons.

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Pre-Fabulous: A Fast Passive House Build With Prefab Panels + Timber Frame

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Pre-Fabulous: A Fast Passive House Build With Prefab Panels + Timber Frame

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factory in Uruguay: Agroplak https://www.agroplak.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Brochure-Ok-agroPlak.pdf

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Výrobce a dodavatel Ekopanelu pro stavby dřevostaveb. Zdravé a ekologické řešení pro vaše bydlení.

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Here you will find a worldwide overview of realized Passive Houses. In this database passive house projects can be registered and presented online for free.

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Our tailor-made platform for the sustainable building sector. Marketplace+ is a shop window for your business, a place designed to promote and connect you with the people you need to grow your business - from clients to specifiers, tradespeople, and even prospective partners.

In simple terms, it's a directory, but it's so much more: it's an online ecosystem of the leading names in sustainable building, and it's stitched into the fabric of the Passive House Plus website.

From simple free listings to features-packed pages that serve effectively as self-contained websites hosted within our site -- which has a large, growing, dedicated, audience -- Marketplace+ caters for your business, whatever its size.

And in a pioneering innovation, Marketplace+ is stitched seamlessly into the fabric of passivehouseplus.ie, offering you the chance to build your brand and sell your wares to a targeted, highly motivated, captive audience.
Click here to see for yourself.

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Passive House Plus is an award-winning bimonthly magazine focused on highly energy efficient, healthy, sustainable buildings, based on the Passive house or passivhaus standard Passive house isn't just a phrase to bandy about - it's the world's leading energy performance standard

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Grimshaw on Instagram: "A regenerative and circular economy needs collaborative thinking and Sugarcrete is a result of just that.

The Sustainability Research Institute @universityofeastlondon working with students of the school of architecture, computing and engineering, Grimshaw and Tate & Lyle, has developed a low-cost low carbon construction material from organic material waste produced from sugar.

Working together for two years – with experts in material science, advanced design technology, robotic fabrication, circular economies and architecture and engineering – prototyping Sugarcrete has identified opportunities for its application as a structural material in building, and has also been nominated for this year’s The Earthshot Prize.
 
#circulareconomy #sustainablebuilding #architecture"

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1,671 likes, 19 comments - grimshawarch on May 8, 2023: "A regenerative and circular economy needs collaborative thinking and Sugarcrete is a result of ju..." 

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https://passivehouse-database.org/index.php?lang=en#d_7237

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The "Huff'nPuff Haus" Story
This beautiful contemporary all-electric, biophilic strawbale home is off-grid with completely self-sufficient power, water and waste all-electric AND has just been officially Certified Passivhaus Premium!

Our happy clients said:
"Excellent! Very happy to hear (that we achieved Certified Passivhaus Premium) and even happier with the house performance and comfort.
Truly remarkable."

Passivhaus Premium Certification means the home generates more renewable energy than it uses - and this is the first strawbale home in Australia that has reached this standard.

Could this be one of Australia's most sustainable homes?

Could this be a truly regenerative development?

The intention was not only to do less bad, but also to do more good; exploring what's possible for the future of housing.

Doesn't it just look like another beautiful home?

Our clients do think it's lovely to live in (and that is important!) but this home's real beauty is more about what you can't see. Its inner beauty - its genuine ethical responsibility and loving kindness towards people and the planet - is what really makes it shine.

The brief was to design an efficient and self-sufficient home on a beautiful remote site in Ruffy, Victoria (Taungurong Country) that had a low carbon footprint as it was off-grid. It would function as a weekender, and become their permanent residence after retirement, including separate guest accommodation. It needed to be resilient and future-proof - secure and protected from bushfire, responsive to a changing climate, and able to adapt to age in place.

What started as a brief for an off-grid "strawbale home" soon led to the Passivhaus standard to ensure the home was healthy, comfortable and energy efficient. So the aim was for a real regenerative ethos.

The site also has lovely views in all directions! Whilst important to maximise solar gain from the north, we needed to capture the south views too! This posed a new challenge - was it possible to achieve a net-zero-carbon, off-grid Passivhaus built using bio-based materials, with south-facing glazing?!

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Off-grid, all electric, strawbale passivhaus

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https://passivehouseplus.ie/issuu/irish-edition

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https://passivehouseplus.ie/issuu/irish-edition

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From the ground up: What you need to know about building with rammed earth

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The project team behind Jonathan Tuckey's innovative Rammed Earth House discuss key aspects of the design and construction process, and explain why rammed earth is a viable material for our net zero future.

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https://passiv.de/downloads/02_ph_southwesteurope_sample.pdf

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Author: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Benjamin Krick

Anisotropic behavior. The effect of anisotropic behavior is well-known from timber. If the thermal flux is perpendicular to the fiber, the conductivity (λ) of softwood is around 0.13 W/(mK). In the direction of the fiber, the conductivity is about 0.29 W/(mK). In the process of straw bale production, the straw stalks are pressed into bales with a certain orientation. A high proportion of the stalks are oriented perpendicular to the binding strings, which causes a similar effect to that reported for timber. In the case of 2-string bales (small bales 0.36 m hight, 0.48 m width, and 0.6 ... 1.2 m length of a density around 100 kg/m³), the rated thermal conductivity λR can be assumed as 0.052 W/(mK) where thermal flux is perpendicular to the direction of the stalks, and 0.080 W/(mK) in direction of the stalks.

Due to a different production process, the stalks are more homogeneously oriented in big bales, The density is also higher. Here a λR of 0.065 W/(mK) can be assumed. Simply measured values or non-rated values (λ, λD) should not be used in calculations as these values do not incorporate safety factors to take into account potentially higher moisture content or different temperatures. The European Technical Approval ETA-17/0247 for "Baustroh" of BauStroh GmbH, gives a rated thermal conductivity λR-of 0.049 W/(mK) for small bales of 100 +/- 15 kg/m³ density, with thermal flux perpendicular to the direction of the straw stalks (figure 1, left).

Best: Bales on edge or upright. Here, the thermal flux is perpendicular to the direction of the straw stalks, called 'on edge' or 'upright', see figure 2; the thickness of insulation is in this case 36 cm. Taking into account a wooden frame construction with 6 cm posts at 1 m centres, with clay plaster on the inside and lime plaster on the outside, the U-value of the wall will be 0.15 W/(m²K) at an overall thickness of 42 cm. With bales laid flat, resulting in 48 cm insulation thickness and 54 cm overall thickness (λR = 0.080 W/(mK)), the Uvalue is 0.17 W/(m²K). So, bales on edge are preferable regarding the Uvalue, as well as the space required for construction.

Checklist for straw bales. The following characteristics should be assessed for construction bales:

- Bound by plastic twine or wire, bindings should be tight

- Dense bale structure (100 +/-15 kg/m³), ends must be square

- Straw stalks should be mostly undamaged

- Golden yellow colour (not grey or black)

- No mouldy odour, Relative air humidity within the bale lower than 75% (mass-related humidity below 15%)

Blow-in insulation: Straw is also available as blow-in insulation. The ETA-18/0305 for the company "Sonnenklee" gives a λD = 0.055 W/(mK), resulting in a λR of approx. 0.057 W/(mK) at a density of between 105 and 140 kg/(m²). Taking into account a wooden frame construction with 6 cm posts at 62.5 cm centers, with OSB-board on the inside and 4 cm wood-fiber board on the outside, the use of 35 cm of blow-in insulation will achieve a U-value of 0.15 W/(m²K). This corresponds also to a wall thickness of 42 cm.

Further notes: Both straw bales and straw blown-in insulation is an untreated organic material. Because of that, it is of highest importance that the construction is airtight in order to prevent warm and humid air from getting through gaps into the wall, where condensation followed by mould growth would accour. This can be achieved by covering the straw from the inside with plaster, OSB-boards or membranes, in combination with proper sealing of the junctions(see PHI recommendations for "airtight construction"). Furthermore, it is favourable to have a higher vapour resistance inside than outside. For examplary straw bale building systems see https://database.passivehouse.com/en/components/

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Author: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Benjamin Krick Anisotropic behavior. The effect of anisotropic behavior is well-known from timber. If the thermal flux is perpendicular to the fiber, the conductivity (λ) of softwood is around 0.13 W/(mK). In the direction of the fiber, the conductivity is about 0.29 W/(mK).

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From extensive experience, both in teaching and in industry, we have concluded that many buildings start with great carbon and energy ambitions but drift towards poorly-performing designs that are hard to bring back onto a low-carbon course.

In our view this is because modelling often happens late in the design process, and is done by specialists. This leaves early-stage designers without enough information to produce the most optimal designs. By the time these designs are advanced to the modelling stage, it can be too late to make significant changes.

Zebra was developed by the University of Bath to solve this problem. It is a suite of carbon and energy modelling tools for early design decisions.

Zebra is free and built in excel. It requires no specialist knowledge or software. The modelling is approximate, but it is quick and sufficient for early decision-making. It aids understanding of the consequences of design decisions and so improves the designs that are advanced to the modelling stage.

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Use this space to add a brief description of your project.

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https://www.passivhaustrust.org.uk/event_detail.php?eId=1048

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Should I consider 'active cooling'?

We have been getting approached more and more for 'active cooling' solutions, such as air conditioning or cooling options within MVHR.

If you are experiencing overheating and considering cooling for your home, we would argue that the first approach is to try to reduce the need for this in the first instance. The majority of overheating risk in UK properties is due to solar gain through large south facing glazing. You can reduce solar gain through glazing by several methods:

Internal blinds

An internal blind will reflect some heat from the sun back through the window, but the space between the window and blind can heat up and can create a 'chimney effect' which heats the room. With triple glazing the solar gain is less likely to reflect back out, so internal blinds have a limited effect. External shading is up to 10 times more effective at reducing solar gain compared to internal blinds.

Brise soleil

This is a fixed metal or wooden louvred panel above the window outside which blocks the hot high-altitude sun during summer but still lets low altitude sunshine enter the house during winter. This can greatly reduce the frequency of overheating.

Inward opening windows and external shutters

These are a common strategy in Mediterranean countries as they are very simple to install and wooden louvred panels can also add a feature to the house.

Solar film

This sticks to the outside or inside of the window and reduces the amount of solar energy that can pass through.

External awning

This is similar to a fishmonger's canopy outside a shop. More elegant systems are now widely available, and these can make a great shading place outside a kitchen for a garden patio area. We have also seen great examples of properties that have grown plants over a structure to create a similar effect.

External blinds

A common sight across Europe, they can be either electronic/automatic or manually closed. Meshes in the blind can block light but still allow occupants to see out, and they can be opened to different levels to control the level of natural light and solar gain. External blinds are very effective at keeping out the peak sunlight so the room is cool at the end of a hot day.

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Preventing overheating - without the need for 'active cooling' %

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Blog giving an overview of ways to prevent overheating., without needing to resort to 'active cooling' strategies.

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Certified Passivhaus Apartment in Mexico

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Certified Passivhaus Apartment in Mexico

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Here you will find a worldwide overview of realized Passive Houses. In this database passive house projects can be registered and presented online for free.

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ModCell ®, a Bristol based company, have been working closely with researchers from the University of Bath's Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering on their straw panel technology as part of a £1.3million research project.

They revealed at Ecobuild 2015, that the strawbale/ timber frame build system is the 1 st Passivhaus certified straw bale component given the internationally recognised seal of approval from Passive House Institute.

The Passivhaus accreditation covers whole building designs using the ModCell ® design technology. There are now 26 standard construction details allowing whole building envelopes to be designed using the ModCell system including basement, wall and roof intersections as well as ceiling, partition and window details that can be used across Europe.

Oliver Style of Progetic worked closely with ModCell ®, helping to develop the construction details for the Passive House Institute certified panels. It has also received BM Trada's Q mark certification which recognises the quality of a construction method.

We are delighted to have secured the world's first Passivhaus Component Certifications for straw bale construction...Our journey towards building a low-carbon, affordable and sustainable future just got easier. Craig White, Director at White Design and ModCell

ModCell ® Core + meets the demanding PassivHaus standards.

External battens are replaced with 40mm of wood fibre breather/render board.

The wood fibre board then has a thin coat breathable render system applied. Both the wood fibre and render is applied onsite.

All panels are located with a tolerance gap between them and sealed using compressible tapes.

Weathering details vary from project to project and are developed by ModCell ® in conjunction with the project designer.

ModCell ® panels can be lifted into position on site using a telescopic arm or crane.

The mass of the largest ModCell ® panel is 1.7 tonnes.

Panels are sealed using a range of airtight tapes.

PHT Patron member, Ecology Building Society, is now able to consider mortgages on homes built using the ModCell ® system.

The construction sector must reduce its energy consumption by 50% and its carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, so radical changes are needed to the way we approach house building. Straw is a low-cost and widely available food co-product that offers real potential for ultra-low carbon housing throughout the UK. Professor Pete Walker, Head of the Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering, University of Bath ~ Guardian article - Straw houses: builders hope past will inspire greener, warmer future

The Shirehampton project in Bristol, recently featured on the BBC, is a development of 7 homes that was designed using passivhaus principles, but is not a PassivHaus certified project or utilising ModCell ® Core +.

Potential upcoming projects using ModCell ® Core + aiming to acheive Passivhaus certification:

A private house in Scotland

A client option as part of a custom build pilot scheme in Cornwall with Igloo Regeneration

A Passivhaus certified option offered by BaleHaus Custom Homes developed between White Design Cadfan and ModCell.

Watch this space!
University of Bath
26th March 2015

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The knowledge database Passipedia is a service of the Passive House Institute. A great deal of information and articles are available free of charge. If you are interested in more in-depth articles, you can register and receive access. Members of the IG Passivhaus, Passivhaus Austria and partner organizations of iPHA have unlimited access to a variety of in-depth technical articles, videos and tools on the subject of Passive House.

You are already a member of IG Passivhaus, Passivhaus Austria or iPHA? To read this technical article, simply log in under "Login" with your access data for iPHA / Passipedia.

Not a member yet? We would love to welcome you to the Passive House Network! You can become a member of your local iPHA Affiliate organization and get two memberships for the price of one. If there is no iPHA Affiliate in your region, consider becoming an iPHA member directly with iPHA.

This gives you access to all the national and international offerings of these networks. As a member, you not only get unlimited access to technical articles on Passipedia, you also benefit from other advantages, including regular newsletters, free webinars, discounts on events and Passive House planning tools, and much more.

Enter your username and password in the form below to log in. The credentials for Passipedia are identical to your iPHA access. Please note that this requires "cookies" to be allowed in your browser's security settings.

You are already an iPHA member and forgot your password? Reset password

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The knowledge database Passipedia is a service of the Passive House Institute. A great deal of information and articles are available free of charge. If you are interested in more in-depth articles, you can register and receive access.

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Author: Nikki Goad

For someone outside the building sector, many of the shorthand symbols frequently used in Passive House related content - including educational videos, press releases, webinars, and even some of our other blog posts - can be quite confusing. What the heck is a U-value? What are all those different subscripts? And what the heck is this symbol -> Ψ? Don't fret. We will get into all of those, as well as an explanation regarding their relevance to Passive House design.

A brief explanation of the U-Value

The heat losses through a standard building component, i.e. external wall, window, floor, roof, are defined by the U-value also known as the heat transfer coefficient, or thermal transmittance coefficient. This value indicates the rate of heat transfer through a specific component over a given area if the temperature difference is one degree (1 Kelvin). The measurement unit of the U-value is therefore "W/(m²K)". Thus, the lower the U-value, the lower the rate of heat transfer, and the better the insulating property of the element! In other words, the more slowly heat moves through the material.

Relationship between U-value, R-value, thickness, and thermal conductivity of a single material

You can alternatively think of the thermal 'quality' of the element in terms of the R-value, also known as the thermal resistance. The R-value is simply the reciprocal of the U-value and describes how much resistance a material or element presents to heat flow.

A material's thermal resistance depends on its thickness (d) and its thermal conductivity ( 'λ-value' or sometimes 'k-value'). Thickness - Cool. Got it. Intuitively, the thicker a material is, the more insulating it is. Thermal conductivity, however, is a bit trickier. There are tons of resources out there that can tell you how this value is determined, and what makes some materials better thermal conductors than others. But, in most cases, you are given this value. There are also surface resistances (R se & R si) to consider. Different orientations result in different values. However, these are also likely given. Here is a table with some common building materials.

Thermal conductivity of common building materials and thickness required to obtain a U-value = 0.13 W/(m²K) which is typical for PH buildings in the cool-temperate climate|Table adapted from Passipedia

So while the 'λ-value' or 'k-value' is used to describe the heat conducting ability of a single material, the U-value is able to tell us something about the overall assembly, by taking into account the resistances and areas of all the individual materials that make up a component.

The majority of the literature regarding Passive House design utilizes the U-value. That being the case, we will also be referring to the U-value throughout this piece. Just be aware that some building professionals may prefer to speak in terms of the R-value. But they're all referring to the same thing!

An introduction to Passive House Components

Passive House buildings are known for their superior insulation. By reducing the amount of heat loss through the building's components (walls, windows, doors, etc.), the amount of energy necessary to heat/cool a building can be significantly reduced. Up to 90% in some cases (such as older buildings with poor baseline performance) and over 75% compared with average new builds.

The Passive House Institute tests and certifies products suitable for use in Passive House buildings. Products that carry the Certified Passive House Component seal have been tested according to uniform criteria; they can easily be compared in terms of their specific values and are of excellent quality regarding energy efficiency.

Once certified, these Passive House components are issued a certificate containing the specific values relevant for Passive House design, and earn a spot on the Passive House Component Database. This increased visibility benefits both the component manufacturer and Passive House Designers alike. It helps connect the needs of the Designer to high-quality component manufacturers in their area.

The Component Database also provides Designers with easy access to technical specifications, saving time and effort. It's a really useful tool and continues to grow alongside the Passive House Standard. In fact, the 1000th Passive House component certification was just issued this past June! We will go over the U-values of the opaque and transparent components in just a sec. But don't forget that there are tons of other types of components certified by the Passive House Institute, including ventilation systems, compact heat pumps, waste water heat recovery systems, and more!

Typical U-values of Passive House Components

As we discussed, the overall heat loss through a building component is related to the area of the component, the material properties and thickness, and the temperature difference. That being the case, Passive House components are designed with a specific material and thickness for a specific climate. Because it is the climate that determines this temperature difference. Most homeowners want to keep their building at a cosy and comfortable 20-25°C. Depending on your climate, you can get some extreme temperatures outside the walls of your house. So, not every Passive House component is suitable for every climate. But there do exist options for every climate.

Rough outline of climate zones considered for Passive House components. Actual climate zone by location may vary.

Let's check out some of the typical U-values for Passive House components in these different climates and get a feel for how they compare to typical buildings. Keep in mind that are also other factors considered during the component certification process, such as airtightness, hygiene, and thermal bridges. However, we will be focused on criteria regarding U-values. If you are interested in learning more, be sure to check out the links in the ' Further Reading ' at the bottom of the page.

Opaque components

Opaque components include things like wall and construction systems, floor slab insulation systems, and balcony and window connections. Because we know that Passive Houses are super-insulated, so we can expect the U-values for these parts to be quite low especially compared to typical buildings. The image below does a good job of illustrating this point.

Comparison of typical U-values and wall thickness of typical German building stock and Passive House construction.

One may think that these requirements are much too stringent, but actually, this value of 0.15 W/(m²K) (for the Central European climate) is the most cost-effective value at today's energy prices. A lower U-value and thus, more insulation may result in a lower energy demand, but it may not be the most economically feasible. Perhaps that capital would be better invested elsewhere in the building.

The recommended U-values for opaque construction systems are summarized in the table below. Note that when building your own Passive House, the U-values of the walls do not have to match exactly these. The values are simply those necessary for component certification, but depending on the design of your building, they may need to be higher or lower to ultimately meet the <15 kWh/m² per year criteria.

Transparent components

Transparent components include things such as curtain wall systems, skylights, entry doors, and of course windows. In these last two sections, will examine two of the most common components - windows and entry doors.

Windows

Passive House suitability for windows is verified using the U-value of the components and the temperature factor at the coldest point of the component. For detailed information on how these values are calculated, be sure to check out the full Certification Criteria for Transparent Passive House Components.

The maximum heat transfer coefficients (U-values) of installed certified transparent Passive House building components for each climate have been calculated by the PHI and can be seen in the table below.

You'll notice there are two different U-values included in the table. The U-value of the window itself (U w) (including glazing, frame, glass edge, etc.) as well as the expected U value of the window once installed, i.e. including the installation thermal bridges (U w,inst).

Keep in mind, while the U-value of the window itself is important, just as important is its installation. A bad installation job can result in, at best, result in some major heat losses. At worst, mould could begin to form as moist air condenses at the coldest points around the installed window. So, while the calculated U-value of the window is used for certification, the actual installed U-value of the window is the value used in the energy balance calculation. The full equation for determining U w,inst is as follows:

Illustration of a Passive House window.

That equation may look big and scary. But it's really not all too bad. It just takes into account the size and insulation of the glazing (A g & U g), the size and insulation of the frame (A f & U f) and the heat losses attributed to the glazing edge (Ψ g) and installation (Ψ g). Ψ is the symbol for the thermal bridge coefficient, which describes the added heat flow associated with a linear thermal disturbance or change in geometry. Check out this article, and others available on Pasipedia to learn more about thermal bridges, and their importance in Passive House design.

Entry Doors

When you first consider it, one would think that entry doors would fall under the umbrella of opaque components. In reality, however, they more often behave like windows, but with a bit more frame. In some cases, entirely frame if no glazing is used at all. That being that case, the above equation still applies. Just simply swap U w,inst for U D,inst and there you have it!

Hopefully this article helped demystify the U-value and it's role in Passive House design. If you have any question regarding component certification, be sure to reach out the component team at their email components@passiv.de.

Further Reading
General Flyer for Component Certification Certification Criteria for Transparent Passive House Components Certification Criteria for Opaque Passive House Construction Systems

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Ug, Uf, Uw, Uwhat? : An intro to the U-value and those most important to Passive House design | iPHA Blog

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For someone outside the building sector, the U-value can seem quite confusing. In this piece, we aim to demystify the U-value its relationship to PH design.

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For the purpose of this article we are borrowing the term "Global South" to group countries in emerging and developing countries where we are starting to see some interest and initial examples of Passive House.
It is important to talk about these regions, as they face not only climate change, but also a continued growth in population and a trend of rapid urbanisation. These often come together with a housing backlog, so there is an urgency for more housing possibilities. At the same time, the living standards must be improved and are rapidly changing in many of these countries. For all these reasons, and in combination with the effects of climate change, a continued increase in energy demand, especially for active cooling, is expected.

As shown in the map below, the Global Energy Assessment [Ürge-Vorsatz et al. 2012] revealed that employing sub-optimal solutions (business as usual) would lead to a substantial energy increase in many of these regions by mid-century, accompanied by a high risk of lock-in. On a worldwide scale, employing state of the art technologies indicates a reduction potential in energy the energy demand for heating and cooling of 46% compared to 2005 figures; and would prevent 79% energy needs (lock-in risk) compared with a sub-optimal development.

In other words, how high the increase in the energy demand will be for these regions will depend on the solutions that we implement today. So we need to start planning for high energy efficiency and avoid interim solutions. Luckily, Passive House has proven to be a viable solution for this that goes way beyond energy savings of the individual building - it can play a direct role in achieving many of the current sustainable global aims (for example the SDG's as defined by the UN), among them health and comfort, equity and resilience [Tzar 2021].

So, how is Passive House looking in those regions?

In the framework of the plenary talk for the Passive House Network (formerly NAPHN) conference in June 2021, we took the chance to look at many of these countries and what has been done or is currently in progress regarding Passive House. Specifically, we looked at the countries classified by the International Monetary Fund [IMF Datamapper 2021] as emerging markets and developing economies - these are shown in the map below in darker shades of green. In many of them, local and international actors are already leading with examples, being pilot projects, a first Passive House or through studies - these are pinned in the map with different colors.

Let's quickly take a look at some examples [updated in November 2023]:

Mexico

For the last 10 years several institutions in the country have collaborated on the topic of energy efficiency. PHI, together with other partners, has participated through technical studies, development of tools and guidance for pilot projects. A summary of these initiatives is provided in the timeline below.

Some examples of the initiatives in the country are:

The analyses carried out for the first Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) for Sustainable Housing: showing that Passive House is the most economical option when looking at the costs during the whole life cycle of the building. And this holds true for different typologies, under different climate requirements and even on a present scenario where not all Passive House components are available in the market. This was carried out first for new-builds [PHI 2012] and second study shows that following a concept similar to the EnerPHit Retrofit Plan can guarantee high energy savings in retrofits [PHI 2015]. See also this article about the NAMAs.

DEEVi Tool: The Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) is used as the basis for the tool used in the System to Evaluate Green Housing (SISEVIVE-ECOCASA) to assess the energy performance of housing projects receiving funding from different Mexican Institutions.

Pilot projects - New housing: Thanks to the LAIF Component of the Ecocasa Programme there are now around 30 pilot projects of social housing built to the Passive House standard. These are located in hot climates like Monterrey and Nogales, but also in milder climates like Guadalajara and Morelia. You can learn more about the project here and read about the first experiences on Blower Door testing here.

Pilot projects - Existing housing: From 2019 to 2023 the GIZ (German International Cooperation, an initiative of the BMZ (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development)), with the help of the team of Gopa, IzN and PHI implemented successfully first steps to sustainably retrofit 30 social housing units in challenging climates Mexicali and Hermosillo. The approach follows the EnerPHit methodology. The "DKTI" project was presented at the 26th International Passive House Conference in Wiesbaden, Germany [Rodriguez Beele 2023], and the final project report can be downloaded here (in Spanish) directly or from the official Mexican website: Cooperación Clima

Chile

The first pilot project in Latin America was an office building in Vitacura, Santiago constructed in 2010. Due to the commitment of dedicated individuals and organisations driving awareness regionally, we are now seeing more projects such as single family homes and multi-family buildings coming up and in the process of being certified.

Brazil

The first Passive House in Brazil is a learning facility from 2017. Financed by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in partnership with SENAI - RN, RLP Agroscience GmbH, HWK Trier and KIT Karlsruhe, this project is one of many great examples of collaboration between local and international actors who go through a steep learning curve to build a pilot Passive House building.

Argentina

Two projects have been certified in Argentina in 2022, both located in the province of Buenos Aires. One is a single-family home in Mar del Plata, the other one is a weekend home located deep in the Tigre Delta.

Figure 9 First Passive House projects certified in Argentina

United Arab Emirates

The first Passive House in UAE is an office building in Dubai, constructed in 2016 for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, a governmental research body. It was designed for energy independence, and preliminary monitoring showed positive results in terms of indoor comfort and air quality [Filippi 2019].

Sri Lanka

Another project where monitoring data has provided proof of concept is the pilot project in Sri Lanka. It is not only one of the few projects located in a tropical monsoon climate, but a great example of how a renovation can integrate the way people work and construct locally while achieving high energy efficiency.

India

In 2016, a short study explored savings through better windows, by switching to plastic frames with double or triple low-E glazing in the climate of New Delhi.

A similar analysis to the ones carried out for Mexico confirms that Passive house is technically and economically feasible in many different climate zones in India, even in current market conditions, where many components are not locally available. The image below includes an example from this study. More details regarding the Passive House buildings are also available on Passipedia, and the results of these study, as well as the prototypes to the Passive House level were published as part of a Catalogue of Replicable Designs available online.

Figure 12 Example of the capital and energy costs for one of the prototypes of multi-family buildings in India

Morocco

A short course and two preliminary studies supported by GIZ Morocco have helped to identify the components that would be required in some climatic zones in the country.

Summing up
These are just some selected examples. More projects and studies are underway and we expect soon to see the first certified projects in many other countries, for example: Iraq, Malaysia, Jordan, Colombia, Uruguay and Egypt.

Studies are a great way to show that Passive House is not only technically but economically feasible for different typologies and in a variety of climates. They can pave the way by showing technical solutions and sparking interest in the regional market. Ultimately, pilot projects are the best way to show how the performance values of the Passive House criteria can be successfully incorporated to respond to local requirements and designs. Nothing is more convincing than walking into a Passive House and experiencing firsthand comfort and better air quality.

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For the purpose of this article we are borrowing the term "Global South" to group countries in emerging and developing countries where we are starting to see some interest and initial examples of Passive House. It is important to talk about these regions, as they face not only climate change, but also a continued growth in population and a trend of rapid urbanisation.

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Preocupados por la rehabilitación sustentable en México, los arquitectos Marisa Egea y Alejandro Herrera de , desarrollaron en el año 2003 la tesis "Regeneración del uso habitacional en la colonia Juárez", la que sin quererlo se materializó 9 años después. La rehabilitación se llevó a cabo en el marco del Concurso Iberoamericano Passivhaus, logrando reducir las molestas variaciones de temperatura de un pequeño departamento ubicado en el barrio de Colonia Roma, en Ciudad de México.

El tema de la rehabilitación en México es relativamente nuevo y está siendo potenciado mayormente por temas inmobiliarios. Sin embargo, los arquitectos Marisa Egea y Alejandro Herrera llevan más de 10 años hablando del tema y en el año 2012 -sin esperarlo- pudieron llevarlo a la práctica.

La rehabilitación se hizo cargo de un departamento del año 2007, ubicado en la azotea de un edificio habitacional de 1930 -espacio residual en la mayoría de las edificaciones de México-, en ese entonces construido con un presupuesto muy bajo y materiales temporales.

Luego de capacitarse en temas de sustentabilidad y eficiencia energética, y obteniendo los conocimientos básicos de bioclimática, pudieron enfrentar los nuevos requerimientos del departamento, generando una completa renovación sustentable y de alto confort para sus habitantes.

El departamento se ubica en un cuarto nivel con orientación sur, por este motivo recibía un enorme asoleamiento durante la primavera y el verano, alcanzado altas temperaturas en el interior. Por el contrario, en otoño e invierno el frío causaba grandes molestias.

Así fue como los arquitectos decidieron participar en el Primer Concurso Iberoamericano Passivhaus, convocado por la Plataforma de Edificación Passivhaus en España [PEP].

El equipo se comprometió a encontrar los fondos para construir la rehabilitación, al mismo tiempo de profundizar en sus conocimientos del estándar Passivhaus y de estudiar los materiales eficientes disponibles en el país.

Diseño y construcción: INHAB, Marisa Egea y Alejandro Herrera
Ubicación: Durango 17-7, Col. Roma Norte, D.F., México
Año de construcción: 1930 (Edificio original) / 2007 (Construcción del departamento) / 2012 (Rehabilitación con estándar Passivhaus)
Superficie de azotea: Superficie de construcción: 45.00 m2
Reconocimiento: Certificado de eficiencia energética Passivhaus, otorgado por el Passivhaus Institut con sede en Darmstadt, Alemania
Estructura: Grupo SAI, Gerson Huerta
Instalaciones especiales: Ventilación y Prueba Blower Door - Antonio Pelaez
Materiales y ecotecnologías: Cancelerías de PVC - Kömmerling, Windlock Soluciones Sustentables y Ventanas Exclusivas. Herrajes- VBH Vidrios - Lindes (Antes vidrios Marte) Calentador solar térmico- DUMA Trading
Fotográfia: Moritz Bernoully y Maltercio Estudio

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México: Rehabilitación de un departamento bajo estándar Passivhaus

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Preocupados por la rehabilitación sustentable en México, los arquitectos Marisa Egea y Alejandro Herrera de , desarrollaron en el año 2003 la tesis "Regeneración del uso habitacional en la colonia Juárez", la que sin quererlo se materializó 9 años después.

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Concepto técnico para la rehabilitación energética en la vivienda social existente en México

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Passivhaus consultant: Micheel Wassouf of Energiehaus

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Mexicali and Hermosillo, two cities in northern Mexico, share a hot dry climate with temperatures that reach up to 52°C (125°F) during the summer. They are also home to large social housing developments, some of them recently built, of up to 10,000 single-family homes constructed typically of concrete blocks or reinforced concrete slabs, with single-pane aluminum-framed windows-and no insulation whatsoever. Indeed, the majority of Mexico's housing stock-currently about 35 million houses-do not meet all the federal building code requirements and were built with no attention to energy efficiency.

As residents in Mexicali and Hermosillo are forced to suffer with life-threatening indoor temperatures, homeowners buy and install second-hand air-conditioning systems to cope with the high temperatures, leading to high energy bills and energy poverty.

A pilot project was implemented to retrofit 30 houses in the social housing parks of Hermosillo and Mexicali, through the Trust for Thermal Insulation, FIPATERM, a branch of the state-owned electricity company, CFE. The project was conducted as part of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Existing Social Housing in Mexico Program, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). GOPA Infra, on behalf of GIZ, provided technical assistance in the conceptualization and implementation of the pilot project.

The pilot's objective was to develop energy retrofit packages, evaluate their technical and financial feasibility, and identify the most suitable mass-scale bundle of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures that would achieve the optimal energy performance for these social housing developments. The homeowners that participated in the project were offered a subsidy to cover some of the retrofit costs, coupled with a 5-year loan that had an annual interest rate of 13%.

Three retrofit packages were designed and implemented, ranging from a low investment scale (Step 1), to intermediate (Step 2), to a more ambitious level of investment and energy performance (Step 3). These packages were conceived as steps towards an EnerPHit, with the Step 3 bundle the closest one to achieving an EnerPHit level of energy savings and thermal comfort.

Step 1 included exterior thermal insulation on the roof (λ 0.028, 1.25 inches) installed in combination with white elastomeric paint on the roof's surface, an energy-efficient air-conditioning system, energy-efficient appliances, and water-saving fixtures. Step 2 added exterior thermal insulation, along with reflective paint, on the walls (λ 0.038, 1.5 inches); in addition, the participants selected a package of an induction cooktop, an electric boiler, and a PV system to replace the gas-consuming devices, testing the concept of a home with a 100% solar electricity supply. Step 3 further included a heat-recovery ventilation unit, low-e double-glazed PVC windows, and the application of airtight sealing tapes.

Airtightness control was implemented through these sealing tapes, along with attention to sealing of penetrations and adhesive mortar for sealing surfaces. Such airtightness measures have proven to be low cost and, in the pilot, showed excellent results on the pressurization test. A post-retrofit blower door test conducted by Micheel Wassouf of Energiehaus on the one house where all the Step 3 measures were installed showed the house had achieved an airtightness of 0.91 ACH50, complying with the requirement of the EnerPHit standard. Continuity of thermal insulation at the junctions of the walls and slab assured control of the existing thermal bridges.

Table 1 shows the implemented bundles for each step, with the total energy demand for cooling and heating, non-renewable primary energy demand, CO2 savings, and U-values for thermal insulation and windows, compared to the houses before the retrofit intervention (Baseline) and also to both the EnerPHit energy demand criteria and the EnerPHit component criteria. All the retrofit solutions were modeled using PHPP and DEEVI, an energy balance tool developed in conjunction with PHI specifically for social housing typologies and the climates of Mexico.

The electricity bills of four houses were monitored for the period of July to December 2022. As shown in Table 2, energy reductions of 1,912 kWh (Step 1 Hermosillo), 1,928 kWh (Step 1 Mexicali), 4,236 kWh (Step 2 Mexicali), and 6,828 kWh (Step 3 Mexicali) compared to the same month of the previous year were achieved for these houses. Step 1 led to energy cost savings of 45%, while Steps 2 and 3 saved up to 45% to 82%, correspondingly, of the energy bill.

Furthermore, the Step 3 house showed excellent levels of indoor air quality. In addition to significant energy savings, those homeowners are experiencing the added benefits of comfort and health associated with having a well-insulated airtight building.

A cost study was performed to examine the financial feasibility of implementing a step-by-step energy retrofit (see Table 3). Regarding the Step 3 house, the intention was to study the technical and financial feasibility of achieving a fully retrofitted house that complied with the EnerPHit standard. The five Passive House principles-airtightness, thermal insulation, thermal bridges, efficient windows, and controlled ventilation with heat recovery-guided the optimization concept, while still taking into account the project's boundary conditions.

The goal of implementing the five principles ran up against significant barriers in Mexico regarding two of the components needed to comply with the EnerPHit standard: triple-glazed certified windows and mechanical ventilation units with heat recovery, which were simply not locally available. As this pilot was being conducted during 2021-2022, there were also significant delays in the production and shipping of international products-not to mention important incremental costs-due to the Covid-19 crisis and the war in Ukraine. Therefore, for the windows, the best locally available products were selected, which consisted of tilt-and-turn windows with three-chamber PVC frames and low-E double-glazing. Eventually, it was feasible to import from Germany a PHI-certified heat recovery ventilation unit to be able to include proper airtightness control and the ventilation concept.

As for thermal insulation, the economic analysis, considering the current electricity tariffs, favored 2 inches of XPS exterior roof insulation (U-value 0.35 W/(m2K)) over 3 inches of XPS exterior roof insulation (U-value 0.25 W/(m2K)). However, due to the financial objectives that FIPATERM had to achieve, and the terms of the grant agreement, the system offered by FIPATERM-accredited providers of 1.25 inches of sprayed polyurethane (PU) (U-value 0.51 W/(m2K)) had to be used instead of the modeled XPS solution. As for the floor slab, it was not technically feasible to insulate the floor slabs, which are in contact with the ground.

The lessons learned from this demonstration project regarding overcoming the existing barriers to achieving EnerPHit include the supply and installing of PHI-certified components. Barriers to more broadly implementing airtightness measures could be addressed by importing sealing tapes at a low cost and training local workmanship to install them. Decentralized HRV units could be produced in Mexico by involving local manufacturers, who could design and produce models for the social housing segment. Local air conditioning and mechanical ventilation installers could be trained to assure proper installation. The cost barrier for highly efficient PHI-certified windows, especially for the social housing segment, could be overcome by locally adapted design and production. These solutions would incentivize the development of a national market and trigger the expansion of mass-producing Passive Houses.

Long-term financing solutions that include lower interest rates are necessary to achieve a positive net present value for these types of retrofits. The Step 2 and Step 3 retrofits were heavily subsidized from a grant agreement with funds of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ. This pilot opens the discussion for future solutions to overcoming the technical and economic barriers for efficient, comfortable, and healthy mass-produced social housing in developing economies, while avoiding the lock-in effect from installing not-so-efficient retrofit measures. Financing mechanisms such as international climate funds could be coupled with state incentives and lower interest rates, leading to affordable solutions for the existing housing parks of Mexico and leaving no-one behind.

Videos about this project are available at https://youtu.be/dsnaM3HrfLk and

https://youtu.be/dsnaM3HrfLk.

_________________________________________________________________________

FOR MORE INFORMATION on the pilot project, please contact Salvador Rodríguez Kuri and Albert Beele, at [email protected] and [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INQUIRIES about the program, please contact Liliana Campos, program director of the GIZ Program Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Existing Social Housing in Mexico, at [email protected].

Salvador Rodríguez Kuri is an architect, an international expert in the field of energy efficiency in construction, and the senior adviser a...

Albert Beele is an architect, an international expert in the field of energy efficiency in construction, and senior adviser for the technica...

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Applying EnerPHit Lessons to Social Housing in Mexico

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In an effort to make homes more resilient to the extreme heat of Mexico, a pilot project has been launched to develop energy retrofit packages, evaluate their technical and financial feasibility, and identify the most suitable mass-scale bundle of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures.

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social housing in Guadalajara, Morelia, Monterrey

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The first Passive House residences from the LAIF Component are finally under construction! Hours and hours of hard work is behind these first projects. First, there was an intense planning phase where the project team had to ensure that the houses were designed to the Passive House Standard, achieve a reduction of 80% in CO2 emissions, and prove that they are cost-effective. Then, a small group of homes was built to allow the construction team to become acquainted with the particulars of Passive House construction before the prototype was replicated on a larger scale. Following all of this, it was with great expectation and curiosity that the team of GOPA-PHI (international consultants) went together with SHF (Mexican bank) to visit the construction sites last April.

The first stop was the colonial city of Morelia, in the state of Michoacán. Here, the housing developer HERSO is building a collection of row houses. The climate is far from that of Central Europe, and therefore different solutions have been implemented. The project is situated at 2,000 meters above sea level, however, with only a few improvements to the thermal envelope, only a small electric heater is sufficient to ensure the homes remain comfortable. No mechanical cooling or heat recovery is required.

Then we travelled north, to the city of Nogales, right at the border with the USA where DEREX is building a collection of duplex homes. This location is much closer to the desert, so the building envelope is a bit "sturdier", with 5 inches of insulation (~13cm) and triple glazed Passive House certified windows. Again, no heat recovery is required, and only two small split-units will provide the heating and cooling needed throughout the year.

A local Passive House expert has been supporting the project developer throughout the entire process and visits the site during key moments and milestones. During our visit, we checked some of the challenges the team had come across and the solutions that they had developed. Most importantly, we were keen to see some results on airtightness since the concept is relatively unknown in the construction sector in Mexico. The prototype from HERSO obtained a result around 1/h (at 50 Pa), a little above the desired 0.6/h but still a great result. However, we were able to identify the main air infiltration areas and we are positive the desired result will be achieved once a few improvements have been implemented. In addition to this good news, the project from DEREX achieved a 0.58/h and therefore was able to receive the airtightness certificate (almost) right away. This clearly shows all of their hard work is paying off!

The site visits were also a great opportunity for the on-site verifiers from SHF, local experts, and other team members to receive hands-on training with the Blower Door Test. The projects themselves turned into a life-size showroom featuring their visible airtightness layer. There's nothing like being able to feel the air leaking into the house with your own hand to understand the importance of airtightness! Setting up the Blower Door and the search for infiltrations was definitely a team effort.

Overall, we were very happy to see the benefits of careful planning and the great results achieved by both projects. And there is still more to come! These are only two out of the seven projects that are planned so far. Even though 70% of the additional investment is covered by the LAIF Component, for the project plan to be approved, the economic analysis must show that the totality of the additional investment costs are compensated through the savings on the electricity and gas bills. In other words, not only would these be the first new-built houses to achieve the Passive House Standard in Mexico and Latin America, but also examples of cost-effective solutions in the region.

More Information

The EcoCasa Program, managed by Sociedad Hipotecaria Federal (SHF, Mexico) grants credits for the construction of energy-efficient houses that achieve at least a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The LAIF Component is a part of the EcoCasa Program, funded by the Latin American Investment Fund (LAIF - hence the name) from the European Union. The aim of the Component is to build up to 600 houses under the Passive House Standard in order to achieve a reduction of approximately 80% in greenhouse gas emissions. In order to do that, the project developers are offered:

1. Economic incentives in the form of bridge credits and a subvention to cover up to 70% of the additional costs related to the energy efficiency measures, managed by SHF.

2. Technical support provided by the consortium GOPA | Passivhaus Institut, who works together with local advisors to guarantee that all projects achieve the Passive House standard and are built according to planning.

Read more about the status of the Component here, learn more about the Ecocasa Program here, or contact us f or more information on the Passive House Standard in Mexico: javier.florez@passiv.de

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On the road to Passive House buildings in Mexico | iPHA Blog

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The first Passive House residences from the LAIF Component are finally under construction! Hours and hours of hard work is behind these first projects. First, there was an intense planning phase where the project team had to ensure that the houses were designed to the Passive House Standard, achieve a reduction of 80% in CO2 emissions, and prove that they are cost-effective.

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Passive House Pilots Completed in Mexico

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Thirty low-income Passive House pilots have been completed due to funding from the European Union’s LAIF Component of the EcoCasa Program.

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Plataforma PEP - Plataforma de Edificación Passivhaus

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La Plataforma de Edificación Passivhaus (PEP) es una asociación sin ánimo de lucro que se dedica a la divulgación del estándar Passivhaus.

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Creating an Efficient and Economical Home: Simple Strategies for Energy Optimization

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In today's world, where energy efficiency and cost savings are at the forefront of homeowners' minds, it's crucial to explore practical ways to make our homes more efficient. Fortunately, there are numerous simple yet effective strategies that anyone can implement.

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Important Principles "Right And Wrong" In Architectural Design

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Some sketches for essential principles of "Right and Wrong" In architectural design. by Alexandre Arqui. Click Here To See a Comprehensive Guide And

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Autumn is lovely! Not so lovely: many of us need to turn the heating back on. People living in Passive Houses don't! They enjoy a warm and healthy home, though! Discover Passive House buildings first hand: 11 to 13 November! List of open Passive House buildings

A date to save: In March 2023 we invite you to take part in the 26th International Passive House Conference in Wiesbaden, Germany. The conference will be held in person with additional online events. Looking forward to seeing you there! more

The Passive House Institute chose the very inviting rooftop terrace of this complex in Munich, Germany, for handing out the Passive House certificate to the inhabitants. Also present, the architects Rena und Gernot Vallentin (2nd and 3rd from right). Photo: Passive House Institute Infos

This modern and climate-friendly hospital in Germany truly is part of a new generation. The new building of the Klinikum Frankfurt Höchst has been successfully implemented to meet the Passive House standard. This makes it the first hospital in the world to receive a Passive House certificate. Photo: Klinikum Frankfurt Höchst Press Release

This campus sets new standards: trainees acquire skills in modern workshops in a highly climate-friendly building. In a first for Germany, the Chamber of Crafts of the city of Trier has built its new training centre to the Passive House standard. It has now been awarded the Passive House certificate. Photo: BIBB, Rothbrust Press Release

Press Releases

Even zoos can be built sustainably!

Registration is now open for the 24th International Passive House Conference with the focal theme "Passive House - Building the future - Sustainably!" The renowned climate scientist Professor Stefan Rahmstorf will give a speech during the opening plenary of the conference, which will begin on 20 September 2020 and is being offered as an online event for the first time. Over the subsequent three weeks, expert talks will be held online two days per week. The conference will come to a close on 8 October 2020. The detailed conference programme is available on the conference website now; the early bird discount will apply until
10 August 2020. more

The effort is definitely worth it!

Low operational costs for heating and electricity and a high standard of living comfort are possible at the same time: the latest session of the Research Group for cost-effective Passive Houses addressed the issue of social housing and how it can be implemented in a cost-effective and energy efficient manner. During an associated excursion, many participants visited the PassivhausSozialPlus in Darmstadt which is a nationwide model project for social housing. more

Photo above: Michael Heinrich Photo below: Herz & Lang

"Of course we open the windows!"

Wolfgang Erichson has been living in the Bahnstadt district of Heidelberg for three years and is very happy with his new place of residence. "It was pleasantly warm even on cold winter days," says Erichson. On the fire station premises the city administration presented its energy monitoring results together with the Passive House Institute. The two most important outcomes: the consumption of heating energy in the Bahnstadt district was extremely low. Simultaneously, the total energy consumption was only a third of that of conventional housing complexes. more

When it was inaugurated four years ago, the Raiffeisen Tower in Vienna was the first high-rise building in the world built to the Passive House Standard. Four years later, great progress has been made. This summer, in New York, around 350 students will move into a 26-storey dormitory, being built to the Passive House Standard. The structure of the 88 metre tall Passive House building "Bolueta" in Bilbao, Spain, will be completed within a few weeks. The architects of both these buildings will attend the 21st International Passive House Conference in April in Vienna to report on their exciting projects. more

Photos: Klinikum Frankfurt Höchst

Photo above: H.Dimko
Photo below: Schöberl & Pöll

News in brief

Smiling faces in Aberdeen

The new Rocking Horse Nursery of the Scottish University of Aberdeen brings many happy faces to the children and their teachers. They attribute this as much to the comfortable indoor climate as to the constantly available fresh air. The nursery is the first building in Aberdeen built to the Passive House Standard. The Director of the Passive House Institute, Dr. Wolfgang Feist, recently presented the certificate to the developers and their team.

From both the outside and inside, the single-storey nursery is a real eyecatcher with its wooden facade. Winters with long nights are common in Aberdeen. "The Passive House concept is the best solution for this situation", says Dr. Wolfgang Feist.
Photos: Graeme MacDonald

Press releases

New database provides overview of Passive House components

Whether just browsing or to find a specific product - a new online database provides a detailed overview of components for Passive House construction. All
of the products, which have been independently tested and certified by the Passive House Institute with reference to their energy-relevant qualities, are listed together with relevant technical information; triple-glazed windows and ventilation systems with heat recovery as well as insulation systems and balcony connections, to name a few. more

New study shows cost saving potential for indoor swimming pools

Passive House efficiency is a model for the future also for indoor swimming pools. This is demonstrated in a new report on the energy consumption in the "Bambados" in Germany. The running costs for this leisure pool are far below average. The concept is thus successfully providing an opportunity for financial savings, especially relevant for municipalities with limited budgets. The full report is now available online (in German). Further details were presented at the International Passive House Conference in 2016 in Darmstadt. more

New architecture book presents "Passive House Award" winners

A new book showcasing the winners and finalists of the international "Passive House Award" shows that energy efficient construction is not only profitable, it is also an enrichment for architecture. The book is available in a bound version and in digital form as an online flipbook. All of the award-winning buildings are presented with many photographs and illustrations. Technical details which are relevant for the energy balance are also explained in detail. In addition to the book, there is a poster exhibition on the Award. more

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Autumn is lovely! Not so lovely: many of us need to turn the heating back on. People living in Passive Houses don't! They enjoy a warm and healthy home, though! Discover Passive House buildings first hand: 11 to 13 November!

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The Passivhaus Trust provides guidance on Passivhaus in the UK. Our Technical Panels & Working Groups gather information and experience of emerging issues, as more Passivhaus buildings are built, occupied and monitored. Our aim is to raise awareness of the standard, and to ensure its integrity as it is applied in the UK. You can download our latest reports, presentations and briefing papers from the list below. Passipedia is another valuabe Passivhaus resource. Other Passivhaus pubications can be found here.

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The Passivhaus Trust provides guidance on Passivhaus in the UK. Our Technical Panels & Working Groups gather information and experience of emerging issues, as more Passivhaus buildings are built, occupied and monitored. Our aim is to raise awareness of the standard, and to ensure its integrity as it is applied in the UK.

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when plastered they can achieve excellent air tightness and thermal performance

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A modern construction method with the reassuringly traditional values of clay, the Porotherm Monolithic System gives you the ability to construct a water-tight structure, when designed appropriately.

Download the Monolithic Guide now for product information, U-values, guidance on mortar, cutting, walling up and more.

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As a natural clay product, Porotherm blocks are safe and non-harmful for use in any housing project, and when plastered they can achieve excellent air tightness and thermal performance.

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Juraj Mikurcik, Nick Grant and Mike Whitfield reflect on the award-winning Old Holloway project, which is built with EcoCocon straw panels and is a certified Passivhaus.

This podcast is slightly different to normal because it's been compiled from video footage. The video, which can be seen above, is a 10-minute overview of Old Holloway (or you can watch a 2-minute version here).

Passivhaus specialist Nick Grant and Passivhaus builder Mike Whitfield have both been on the podcast before. Architect Juraj Mikurcik has been a friend of House Planning Help over the years and we were delighted to see his home win at the UK Passivhaus Awards and highly commended at the ASBP Awards.

This podcast explores what makes this house build so special.

The design decisions are easy to read and appreciate

In an era of climate emergency we should all be thinking about limiting our environmental impact and reducing our energy consumption.

Old Holloway (with a floor area of 95m ²) was built to a tight £150k budget and achieves so much. Not only is it a highly efficient home, but it's been built with as many plant-based and non processed materials as possible.

Constraints impacted the form of the house

The project faced tough planning challenges to get a building consent, needing design approval from the Duchy of Cornwall estate (who sold Juraj the land) before even submitting an application to the local authority. These constraints led to a single storey building and perhaps the rural aesthetic.

Nick Grant says it's his favourite house for all sorts of reasons. Mike Whitfield feels the atmosphere in it or soul quality is really good.

Sufficiency and affordability informed the scale

When it comes to scale it's about finding the right balance. If you build too big you have redundant space whereas if you build too small then people struggle to go about living their everyday lives.

Juraj compares Old Holloway to the TARDIS, because it looks small from the outside but feels big from the inside. An open cathedral ceiling helps create a great sense of space.

Nick also believes small buildings have an advantage.

"Small buildings can look interesting because the texture and contrast of the materials is enough. When buildings become very big that's not enough. So however characterful the render is or the brick, it still looks big and bland, so you then start articulating the building and adding bits on because you think it looks plain."

Re-evaluating how much space you need is a smart move... but it's also important to build what you can afford.

Materials matter when building a Passivhaus

If you care about the environment then reducing the embodied energy of the building is essential.

Mike says that some people believe it's either natural materials or energy efficiency.

"You can construct an argument to say that the embodied energy in a Passivhaus isn't that important because you're going to save so much energy over the life of the house."

This might for example lead you to build with insulated concrete formwork.

Juraj specified a Passivhaus certified straw panel system.

Mike continues.

" Ecococon gives you a really instant, pre-fabricated system that is genuinely low energy."

The structural concrete slab is also the finished floor

At the base of the house a concrete slab has been used, but this structural slab doubles as the finished floor. It took Juraj an incredible 90 hours to polish it!

This route is cost effective. The only downside is that it's tricky to guarantee a certain finish.

The straw panels are wrapped with an airtightness membrane

Nick's house was built with straw bales and he often dissuades people from bale building because it's hard to get them to perform well.

Juraj stresses that EcoCocon is a timber panel based system, produced in a workshop, that uses compressed straw as the infill insulation. As such it's even a Passivhaus certified component.

To achieve Passivhaus airtightness requirements the building is wrapped with a membrane on the outside. Nick explains that generally having the airtightness layer on the outside is something they try to avoid. Juraj has been careful to specify the right product in order to avoid condensation issues. The membrane has vapour openess and the whole build was modelled in WUFI.

Don't be afraid to experiment and seek advice from others

Old Holloway is clad in charred timber. This is something Juraj had been wanting to experiment with for some time. He loves the finished effect it created, even if the process was time-consuming.

Juraj believes the crinkly tin roof is the biggest bargain of the whole project. He calls it a 'very Australian detail'.

Nick says that it's good to see it used simply.

Woodburners/stoves are not a great fit for Passivhaus

One thing Juraj would do differently is not include a woodburner. Although it can be incorporated in a Passivhaus (and has been here) there are lots of reasons to deter you.

There are better ways of providing the background heat.

It's old-fashioned thinking (burning anything releases a lot of particulate which is not good for health). People like Passivhaus because of the indoor air quality but having a logburner - no matter how sealed the system is - does release particulate into the room (which appears on the MVHR filters)

It is a faff to clean up

It takes up space

You have to keep children away from it

Even though it's sized correctly, it is not the same experience as a roaring open fire in an in-efficient house. Nick comments that on social occasions the fire is always out before he arrives because the house is already warm enough!

Nick, Mike and Juraj all have fires, but now say they wouldn't do it again.

Mike suggests that if somebody is fixated on having a fire, then go for a bioethanol burner. This can give the effect of a fire but doesn't need lots of kit. And if you decide it's a waste of space you can just get rid of it!

Total control over solar gains in summer is a masterstroke

Sensible glazing ratios, a significant roof overhang and a pop-up awning make Juraj's house one which will not overheat.

The Passivhaus process is always looking for the best form factor. Old Holloway is not an exact rectangle because it dips in on one edge. This hasn't been done because the shape looked boring and it needed to be articulated: this provides complete solar shading of the biggest windows in summer and a nice area to sit outside whatever the weather.

Nick comments:

"You go from a box it's more expensive, so then you've got to say is it giving me some value for money, and here I think it really does."

Find out more

Visit the website of Old Holloway

Visit the website of Mike Whitfield Construction

Visit Nick's website for Elemental Solutions

Follow Juraj Mikurcik on Twitter

Follow on Nick Grant on Twitter

Download a PDF transcript of this episode

Please connect with us
Subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts Rate and review the podcast on Stitcher
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HPH310 : Important takeaways from an exemplar straw panel Passivhaus - House Planning Help

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Juraj Mikurcik, Nick Grant and Mike Whitfield reflect on the award-winning Old Holloway project, which is built with EcoCocon straw panels and is a certified Passivhaus. This podcast is slightly different to normal because it's been compiled from video footage. The video, which can be seen above, is a 10-minute overview of Old Holloway (or [...]

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Category: Guidance

Recent summer heatwaves have made us more aware than ever that the risk of overheating in both new and existing buildings demands attention - and is likely to become even more of a concern as our climate warms.

As a comfort driven approach, the Passivhaus standard includes a summer overheating criterion which requires that internal temperatures do not exceed 25ºC for more than 10% of the year. However, as with all models, the assessment is highly dependent on the assumptions that are made during the modelling process. We need to ensure that the result remains robust when those assumptions vary, for example as occupant behaviour changes, or as the climate warms.

To meet this need, the Passivhaus Trust has developed detailed guidance accompanied by a PHPP plugin covering design strategies to reduce risk, limitations and constraints that may have an impact, key indicators of the likelihood of risk, and a series of stress test to demonstrate robustness.

The stress testing element of the Trust's overheating PHPP plug-in has been integrated into the new iteration of PHPP10. If you are a PHPP9 user, the stress testing feature is still included in our freely available plug-in. Other features of our plug-in including the detailed risk log and overheating heating key indicators designed for use with PHPP9, can now be run with PHPP10, by downloading our free PHPP10 compatible plug-in. Our detailed guidance, covers design strategies to reduce risk, key indicators of the likelihood of risk, and a series of stress tests that apply to all users.

Further information
Keeping Cool: avoiding overheating risks - On demand short-course
Previous PHT story: Sweltering summers? No Sweat! - 07 August 2018

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The principle remains the same - the details have to be adapted.

This statement can be taken as the general rule governing the design of Passive House buildings in all climates around the globe.

Passive House buildings: a method rather than a building style

In Central European Climate there is a lot of practical experience on how to build Passive House buildings. But it would be a pitfall just to apply the Central European Passive House design, especially the details used for insulation, windows and ventilation and just copy these to a completely different situation because

there is a specific building tradition in every country and

there are specific climatic boundary conditions in every region.

Therefore, the specific solution for a Passive House building has to be adapted to the country and the climate under consideration.

On the other hand: The goals are the same in all climates and for all countries. Also, physics is the same all around the world. So the problem to build almost self sufficient houses (i.e. Passive Houses) is well defined. The physical equations are the same - only the boundary conditions vary. Thus the solution method can well be applied independently of the circumstances in order to find the appropriate way of Passive House design in a specific country and climate.

Passive house buildings: The functional definition

It is a lucky coincidence: Although the specific design of passive houses may look quite different in varying circumstances, the leading principle will be the same. This principle has been derived from Amory Lovins' idea of reducing the investment by using a more energy efficient design, going that far with efficiency, that there will be a certain breakthrough to radically simplified technology.

For the case of heating or cooling, this means to radically reduce the peak load by means of insulation, heat recovery, highly insulating windows, passive solar design and other measures. When the peak heating load reaches the value of 10 W/m², independently of the climate, the ventilation system may easily be used for heating. No other heat distribution system than just the air supplied for excellent indoor air quality is required any more.

Thus, the definition of a Passive House building basically consists of limiting the peak heating load to 10 W/m². In some climates that may be easy to achieve; in other, colder climates it may be more difficult.

And the same applies for cooling: Passive measures are to be chosen to reduce the peak cooling load: proper size and quality of windows and shading and the reduction of the internal heat loads by using highly energy efficient equipment. Again, the remaining small amount of cooling energy which might still be needed can be delivered by cooling of the fresh air supply required for good indoor air quality anyhow (see Passive Houses in South-West Europe as a exemplary solution).

Practical hints

Looking at the heating load is just an example. In many locations other energy services such as cooling or dehumidification are much more important. Again the method to determine a Passive House will be the same: Peak loads are limited until an appreciable simplification of the active technology needed for cooling / dehumidification can be achieved.

Some rules of thumb which are valid for all climates:

You should keep comfort at a high level. Passive Houses should be well known as the most comfortable houses - in any country and within any climate. Be aware that all persons would like to live in a comfortable indoor climate and that all of them should have a right to do so. Therefore, in the long run, no solution will persist which will not contribute to a better indoor climate.

The solution should be simpler than ordinary buildings/systems used so far. Only affordable solutions will be attractive in a competition with conventional technology like standard air conditioning.

It is not necessary that the solution will not need any conventional energy demand ('zero energy solution') - that might be very expensive. It is sufficient to use a lot less energy than in ordinary systems. At a factor of 4 to 10, the energy conservation is likely to be high enough to pay for the extra efforts needed.

Insulation might be a good idea in all climates.

Shading will be absolutely necessary in all climates with high solar radiation during Summer.

Heat recovery will be necessary in all cold and in all hot climates. If the houses have a ventilation system, which will be a good idea if external temperature will be lower than 8 °C or higher than 32 °C in a relevant time period, the supply air ducts may well be used to transport heat during the heating season, cool air during the hot periods and dry air to dehumidify if necessary.

Using very low amounts of auxiliary energy is an important precondition for passive solutions. The fans in ventilation systems, for example, must use highly efficient electronically commutated motors. This is obvious in the case of recovery of cooling energy, but it is necessary in systems for heat recovery, too. On the other hand - don't hesitate to use a ventilator; moving air requires much less energy than heating or cooling it significantly.

In many cases the ground can be used as a heat or cold buffer. Vernacular architecture in a country may indicate whether ground coupled systems are an opportunity. The traditional solution may be very expensive, however - like huge air channels or earth buried houses; that will not be a solution reproducible for the future. But there are less expensive solutions using modern technology like earth buried ducts or ground probes.

Technical and economic aspects

Preliminary requirements for residential Passive Houses in all climates worldwide were derived from the technical and economic considerations. These requirements concern indoor heating, sensible and latent cooling, airtightness and primary energy demand. The criteria for primary energy demand and airtightness remained the same worldwide. Read more...

References

[Feist/Adamson 1989] Feist, Wolfgang; Adamson, Bo: Design of low-energy houses in the federal republic of Germany; Lund University, Report BKL 1989:3(E)

[Schnieders 2009] Schnieders, Jürgen: Passive Houses in South West Europe - A quantitative investigation of some passive and active space conditioning techniques for highly energy efficient dwellings in the South West European region. 2nd ed., Passivhaus Institut, Darmstadt 2009. http://www.passivehouse.com

[Schnieders et. al. 2012] Jürgen Schnieders, Jürgen; Feist, Wolfgang; Schulz, Tanja; Krick, Benjamin; Rongen, Ludwig; Wirtz, Reiner - Passive Houses for different climate zones, Passivhaus Institut, Darmstadt Nov. 2011 order via www.passiv.de

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Introduction - Passive House buildings in different climates

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The principle remains the same - the details have to be adapted. This statement can be taken as the general rule governing the design of Passive House buildings in all climates around the globe. In Central European Climate there is a lot of practical experience on how to build Passive House buildings.

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This blog post is a review of " Passive House in Different Climates: The Path to Net Zero" published in 2016 by Routledge. The authors of the book are Mary James and James Bill. I would have written this review shortly after the book was published but unfortunately, it coincided with my blogging hiatus as I moved from the UK to NZ.

You may know of Mary James from her previous books on Passive House in the US, including "American Passive House Developments" that I reviewed earlier. As well as print books, Mary has produced an extensive catalogue of eBooks about Passivhaus in the US that can be found on the Low Carbon Productions website.

James Bill is an architect, certified Passivhaus Designer and founding member of Passive House California.

The book starts with a brief overview of the international Passivhaus Standard, the building physics principles and how it is being applied in different climates. It then launches into case studies from each of the four climate types identified that are different to the cool temperate climate of Germany. The climate types are; Marine, Cold and Very Cold, Mixed-Dry and Hot-Dry, Mixed-Humid and Hot-Humid. The majority of the case studies are from the US, but there are also projects in Ireland, Austria, Sweden, Mexico, Spain, China and Korea showcased.

While many of the projects in the book are new build residences, there are several other typologies represented including offices, a library, multi-unit residential and retrofits.

Essentially, this is a handbook of specific Passivhaus case studies in different climates. Each project has good quality colour photographs, fairly detailed technical descriptions, general arrangement drawings and detailed technical drawings illustrating the specific construction employed. Some of the design approaches suited to the different climates are explored in the introductory section, otherwise, it is left up to the reader to learn directly from the specific case studies.
"Passive House in Different Climates: The Path to Net Zero" is an excellent collection of well-illustrated Passivhaus case studies from different climates .
Introduction

The introduction gives a good overview of the international Passivhaus Standard focussed on how "Passive House buildings are a reliable means of sharply reducing carbon emissions from the building sector." It touches on the integrity of the standard and the range of building types, in addition to detached houses, that have been certified to the standard. Importantly, it provides an overview of research into the application of the standard in different climates around the world that the Passivhaus Institute has undertaken over the years.

There is a discussion on the use of renewable energy with Passivhaus and reducing embodied carbon by using fewer petroleum-based construction materials.

As the use of the PH approach reliably succeeds in delivering highly-energy efficient buildings, making it practical to meet the low remaining energy demand with renewable energy sources, the PH standard is an optimal foundation for creating net zero-energy buildings. [p4]

Chapter 1 is "Severn Principles of Passive House Design". In addition to the five principles typically referred to (super-insulation, elimination of thermal bridging, airtightness, high-performance windows and doors, heat recovery ventilation), the following two principles are included;

1. Minimise energy losses and manage energy gains. Essentially this means to design to suit the local climate, the context and the specific building typology. For example, paying attention to the form factor for inherent efficiency, the internal heat gains, and shading.

2. Use the PHPP for energy modelling. The PHPP software is a critical design tool for Passivhaus and it's good to see it specifically highlighted.

Chapter 2 is "Applying Passive House Principles in Different Climates". This chapter looks broadly at some of the challenges and approaches used to respond to climates that are different from Germany. For example, hot summers, humidity, high rainfall, very mild winters.

And, the PH buildings constructed in diverse climate types - and especially those that have been monitored and whose results have been published - are providing irrefutable evidence of the success of this approach. [p18]

Chapter 3 is "Evolving Passive House Standards". This chapter looks at the development of the different Passivhaus classes (Low Energy Building, Classic, Plus, Premium) relating to the incorporation of renewable energy sources. It also briefly considers some alternative regional standards that have been developed based on the international Passivhaus Standard, such as in the U.S., Sweden and Switzerland.
For readers that are both new to Passivhaus and seasoned practitioners, the introductory section provides important context for adapting Passivhaus Design for Different Climates.
Appropriately, these introductory chapters are not illustrated by the often seen high profile Passivhaus projects. Instead, there are numerous illustrations from projects in Spain, two from the U.S., one from China and one from Germany.

Marine Climate: Passivhaus Pharmacy in Ireland

There are four case studies in the marine climate section; two in Oregan, one in the Netherlands and one in Ireland that I am going to focus on here.

The marine climate was only one of many constraints that architect and Passivhaus designer Paul McNally responded to when designing the Passivhaus Pharmacy. It is tightly squeezed between neighbouring buildings that had to be supported during construction, it's on an historic town street, there are important archaeological remains at the back of the site, and it is long and narrow with virtually no solar or daylight access from the east or west.

Actually, the marine climate probably supported this project in meeting the Passivhaus Standard. It's a mild climate that doesn't suffer high summer temperatures or below freezing winter temperatures.

The ground floor is a shopfront and pharmacy, above this is an apartment with two floors. The apartment and pharmacy were modelled separately in PHPP, are airtight from each other and have independent ventilation and heating systems. The building is Passivhaus certified as a single entity though.

Construction varies depending on the location and includes concrete, steel, masonry and timber. Airtightness is formed by wet plaster in some areas and by specialist membranes in other areas. As is often the case, the junctions between different materials forming the airtight layer were critical. Glazing includes triple-pane windows, curtain walling and rooflights over the apartment, while rooflights over the pharmacy are quad-pane.

Despite what might be expected in the mild marine climate, fixed external shading for the curtainwall frontage to the pharmacy is included to prevent summer overheating. This reflects the climate and project-specific approach needed to meet the performance requirements of the international Passivhaus Standard. As the majority of the pharmacy glazing is on the double-height south facade, this has been maximised to ensure good daylight penetration deep into the long narrow space. So daylight and heat gains have been balanced with external louvre blades that block summer sun but don't inhibit daylight.

The owners rave about the comfort, ample daylight, and the improved air quality, saying at the end of the day they still have a spring in their step. [p59]

There are detailed descriptions of the project development and the construction assemblies, along with background to why these particular assemblies were chosen. More project details in the Passivhaus Buildings database.
A marine climate is generally fairly mild and therefore the implementation of the Passivhaus Standard is relatively straightforward. Project constraints are just as likely to exert influence on the design as climate-specific constraints.
Other case studies in this section are all multi-unit residential developments. The case study in the Netherlands is a fast track retrofit project with tight delivery constraints. The owners continued to occupy their house while the retrofit took place. The retrofit consisted of predominantly prefabricated components installed on the outside of the existing building fabric in a remarkable 7 - 10 working days per unit.

Cold Climate: Passivhaus Field Station in Michigan

There are four case studies in the cold and very cold climate section; one each in New Mexico, Austria, Sweden and Michigan.

The Warren Wood Ecological Field Station in Three Oaks, Michigan is required to maintain consistent indoor temperatures. This is necessary to ensure experiments continue to be viable regardless of how cold it gets outside, even if there is a power outage. This led the clients, The University of Chicago's Department of Ecology and Evolution, to require a Passivhaus certified building. Experienced Passivhaus design and build firm, GO Logic, delivered the project.

The cold climate this project sits within is very similar to Southern Germany, with the exception that there is up to 250mm of rain annually. This means that managing humidity is a key factor in the building services design. This is dealt with in a fairly straightforward manner by using an energy recovery ventilation (ERV) system. An ERV transfers moisture between fresh air and exhaust air streams, as well as heat, helping to maintain stable internal relative humidity even when the external relative humidity goes up or down.

It's a fascinating and beautiful project that has been driven by client aspirations, internal heat gains from lab equipment and local code requirements as much as it has been by Passivhaus requirements and the cold climate. A large part of the case study is dedicated to describing some of the challenges of these competing constraints and how they were successfully resolved. It's a must-read for anyone contemplating a complex Passivhaus building such as a field station or laboratory.

The buildings atypical geometry resulted in too much surface area for a PH in a cold climate, the PHI [Passivhaus Institute] argued. O'Malia [Go Logic] countered that there shouldn't be a preconception of or limitations to a PH's form, as long as the building is well designed for its climate. The happy ending is that, once all the technical details got worked out and the building was certified, the PHI was very pleased with it and is promoting it as the next generation of PH. [p92]

The building includes laboratories, a teaching space, workspaces, occasional sleeping spaces and ancillary rooms. The lab equipment gives off significant heat and so the lab spaces are located on the north (cool) side of the building. With high internal heat gains, this type of building requires less solar gain, however, the clients still wanted to enjoy expansive views to the south. GO Logic resolved the overheating risk presented by the extensive south glazing by included folding perforated metal shade screens on the outside of the south glazing that usefully double as security shutters.

Construction is timber framing filled with dense pack cellulose insulation with an additional layer of structurally insulated panels (SIPs) filled with high-performance graphite EPS insulation on the outside of walls and soffits. The roof is 750mm deep and the walls are 350mm thick - reflecting the complex geometry and cold climate. The ground floor is a concrete slab over 200mm of EPS insulation. The airtightness layer is provided by taped oriented strand board (OSB). Walls have a ventilated rain screen cladding to ensure the high rainfall doesn't make its way into the wall assembly. More project details in the Passivhaus Buildings database.
A cold and very cold climate will require more insulation than a milder climate, however, the amount needed is also determined by the complexity of the building geometry.
Other case studies in this section are detached houses and a school. Construction types include prefabricated straw bale, timber frame / SIP combination and mixed steel and timber frame.

Hot Dry Climate: Passivhaus Library in Spain

There are five case studies in the mixed-dry and hot-dry climate section; one each in China, Mexico, and Chile, two in Spain.

The municipality of Villamediana de Iregua in Spain has required that all public buildings meet the international Passivhaus Standard since June 2013. Esteban Pardo of Play Arquitectura was one of the advocates for mandating Passivhaus and has subsequently designed both the Passivhaus library in Villamediana de Iregua and a Passivhaus Police Administration building.

La Rioja in Spain where the library is located has a temperate continental climate with warm summers and cool winters with some snow. Although it averages 400mm of rain each year, relative humidity stays close to 50% without any extremes to deal with.

Clearly, urban design concerns, daylight quality and a sense of delight have driven the design of the library as much as adherence to the Passivhaus Standard. The building doesn't expand to fill the whole urban space but is set back instead to introduce a welcome plaza in front. Part of the building is set into the ground and the stepping section allows ready access to a 'green roof' of artificial grass, generously giving more space over to public use. In the centre of the library is a small two-storey courtyard containing a single deciduous tree. This introduces daylight to both levels and the tree provides summer shade without interrupting winter solar heat gains, daylight penetration and views out.

As well as stepping in section and containing a small courtyard, the building plan is cranked to respond to the surrounding buildings and identify the library zone and service areas as different volumes. These aspects of the design do not help to optimise the building performance, instead, they demonstrate that a creative response to the many constraints of a project is possible while still achieving the Passivhaus Standard.

Play Arquitectura managed to deliver an outstanding and inspirational library that met the PH targets, and all for a really low price. With it's very low energy use, the building will continue to be a cost-effective investment for generations of readers to come. [p146]

Overheating was a key concern as there is extensive glazing around the courtyard and on the south and west facades. The extensive glazing is to ensure adequate solar gain in winter despite the overshadowed urban site and to provide good daylight inside the building. Careful specification of the glass performance, exposed internal thermal mass, blinds and external shading all play a role in designing out the potential for overheating. Additionally, bathrooms only have cold water supplied. Eliminating hot water storage and distribution not only saves energy but also reduces unwanted internal heat gains.

With high internal heat gains possible when there are a large number of people in the library it was important to have quick response cooling available too. This is provided by a ducted heat pump system that can cool a specific zone of the building separately from the ventilation system. The same heat pump system provides the heating required in winter.

Construction is reinforced concrete with external XPS insulation below ground, an external insulation system using EPS over insulating bricks above ground, and XPS insulation over OSB decking on a timber structure for the roof. Concrete below ground, internal plaster on the brick walls and OSB in the roof structure form the airtight layer. More project details in the Passivhaus Buildings database.
The case studies in this section demonstrate that it is project-specific factors, such as internal heat gains, that determine if a Passivhaus building in a mixed-dry or hot-dry climate will need cooling.
Other case studies in this section are a barn conversion, a residential retrofit, a detached house and an office building and adjacent apartment building. Construction types include SIPS, and exterior insulation systems using mineral fibre, EPS and XPS.

Hot Humid Climate: Passivhaus Residence in South Korea

There are four case studies in the mixed-humid and hot-humid climate section; three in the U.S. and one in South Korea.

Iksan Passivhaus in South Korea was designed by ZED Architects headed up by Professor Myoungju Lee. Following studies in Berlin and working for architects n Germany, Professor Lee has led the introduction of Passivhaus to South Korea. She teaches at Myongji University, carries out research and practices as an architect. This was her first built Passivhaus and while it is for a private client, a government grant funded the Passivhaus design and post-occupancy monitoring.

The climate in Iksan is hot and humid in summer with cool sometimes snowy winters. With an annual average of 1,260mm rainfall, relative humidity stays in a range of 66% to 77% all year round.

The house follows a somewhat 'traditional' Passivhaus approach with a " Boxy But Beautiful " design. Simple modernist forms with punched windows and flat roofs without eaves. Despite the simple forms, the house steps in section and isn't just a rectangle in plan, either. The house is clad in locally-sourced volcanic rock panels and vertical timber rainscreen.

A canopy shades the southern facade, windows have motorised external blinds for shading and humidity is managed with a heat pump air conditioning unit. The design also allows for cross-ventilation from windows. This is a useful strategy in hot periods when the evening air temperature drops to a comfortable level and cross-ventilation can provide some cooling. With the cool winters, heating is also required. Underfloor heating is powered by a geothermal heat pump that can be diverted to heat the domestic hot water when space heating isn't required.

The client also has been very impressed by the consistent comfort throughout both the winter and summer extremes. As Professor Lee says, most people in Korea, including herself, live in homes that frequently are either too hot or too cold. When people either experience the home or see the data she is happy to share, they are very pleasantly surprised. [p201]

Sourcing suitable components was a challenge when construction started in 2012 as only the second Passivhaus in South Korea. A number of Passivhaus certified components were imported for the project, including; an external insulation system from Germany, a Zehnder ventilation system from Europe, uPVC framed triple-glazed windows from China. Apparently, recent Passivhaus projects in South Korea are able to source more of the necessary components domestically.

Walls are reinforced concrete with an external insulation system of mineral wool and XPS. The ground floor slab and roof are also reinforced concrete with XPS insulation. The continuous concrete structure forms the airtight layer. More project details in the Passivhaus Buildings database.
The high-performance thermal envelope of Passivhaus provides a comfortable stable interior environment. Even in a hot-humid climate, only a small amount of space conditioning is required.
Other case studies in this section are residential retrofits and multi-unit housing. Construction types include internally insulated masonry (retrofit) and insulated timber frame (retrofit and new build).

Different Climates: same Passivhaus Design?

The excellent case studies showcased in " Passive House in Different Climates: The Path to Net Zero " highlight the ways in which Passivhaus design has been adapted to suit different climates. However, they also clearly illustrate what all Passivhaus design has in common regardless of the climate: the fundamentals of the building science that underpins the standard. A high-performance thermal envelope is always first - the right amount of continuous insulation, continuous airtightness, high-performance windows and doors, shading where needed. This is followed closely by getting the ventilation right. Finally, the other building services needed to provide outstanding comfort with a minuscule amount of energy.

What is fascinating is that " Passive House in Different Climates: The Path to Net Zero " illustrates another important aspect of Passivhaus design: it is always project specific. The climate is one project constraint, so too are the requirements of the Passivhaus standard. But these alone do not determine the design of a building. Constraints such as; budget, urban design, local materials, local culture, programme requirements, the enthusiasms of the architect and design team, client requirements and aspirations, local code requirements, and much more besides, all influence a building design. Including a Passivhaus building design.
The international Passivhaus Standard is a performance standard. A Passivhaus building is designed using specific local climate data. Therefore, different climates influence how the performance requirements can be met. While the standard is (relatively) constant, each Passivhaus design is climate specific.
This is a useful reference book to see how architects and designers around the world have approached Passivhaus design. It also showcases a good range of projects that are not the Passivhaus 'usual suspects'.
To purchase a copy of this book I recommend supporting your local independent bookshop if possible. However, if you do choose to purchase from any of the links on this site, Amazon will pay me a small commission (at no cost to you) which will support this site. You can click on the image above to go to the Amazon page for the book, or visit my Passivhaus Books page for more information about this book and other Passivhaus books.
All images from the book, " Passive House in Different Climates: The Path to Net Zero ".

My thanks to the publisher, Routledge, for providing me with a review copy of the book.

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Adapting Passivhaus Design for Different Climates | PASSIVHAUS IN PLAIN ENGLISH & MORE

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A detailed review of "Passive House in Different Climates: The Path to Net Zero" published in 2016 by Routledge written by Mary James and James Bill. Passivhaus case studies from climates: Marine, Cold and Very Cold, Mixed-Dry and Hot-Dry, Mixed-Humid and Hot-Humid

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EU 36000 for 25m2

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Case pasive certificate passivhaus, case sanatoase, arhitectura sustenabila cu amprenta negativa CO2. Case modulare sau prefabricate.

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Meet the iPHA Affiliates: Instituto Latinoamericano Passivhaus (ILAPH), Latin America | iPHA Blog

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This series presents you the 21 iPHA affiliates, the international network that works to spread awareness and implementation of the Passive House Standard.

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The Parc y Rhodyn straw insulated selfbuild in Wales is the UK's first certified Passivhaus that also meets One Planet Development & is entirely off-grid. The ambitious clients brief asked for a low impact home built predominantly from bio-based materials with low running costs and minimal energy demand to meet their off grid aspirations.

One Planet Developments were introduced into planning policy by the Welsh government in 2011 as part of its One Wales: One Planet scheme and are measured through their Ecological Footprint.

By adopting the Passivhaus Standard the clients could demonstrate a substantial reduction in the operational energy of the dwelling: achieving the standard using predominantly biogenic materials reduced embodied energy and introduced carbon sequestration. Minimising fuel consumption and consequently carbon emissions positively influenced the carbon analysis and ecological footprint.

Key stats

Building performance

The project is entirely off-grid and not connected to any supplies of power, water or waste. Electricity is supplied by solar photovolatic (PV) on site while the minimal space heating required by the Passivhaus is provided by a wood burning cooker, which also heats the hot water. The solar PVs are split between a building-mounted and ground array that supply power to the house and feed battery storage in an external store. The arrays and storage have been sized to ensure adequate electricity is available to run the MVHR system even in the depths of winter. The wood burning stove sits in the middle of the floor plan to maximise the internal gains from its radiant heat. Fuel for the wood burner is largely supplied from on-site coppicing. The house is also self-sufficient with its water demands and naturally filtrate wastewater with reed beds.

Designed energy performance

Construction

Natural materials were used in construction, as far as possible. EcoCocon straw wall timber panels were the main construction system, with the roof insulated with recycled cellulose. The building is clay plastered internally to assist with moisture management and externally wrapped in Pavatherm woodfibre insulation with a ventilated rainscreen comprising locally sourced larch cladding .

Overall U-values

Floor: 0.28 W/m ²K

Concrete slab on compacted geocell foamglas insulation.

Wall: 0.12 W/m ²K

EcoCocon timber framed straw SIP with clay plaster finish internally, externally sheathed with woodfibre insulation & vertical Welsh larch cladding.

Roof: 0.1 W/m ²K

Timber structure with blown cellulose insulation, externally clad in corrugated metal.

Key team

Architect: Michal Rudnicki (Stages 1-3), Huff & Puff Construction (Stages 4-6)

Contractor: EcoCocon, Hawkland Ecological Construction, The Passive House Builder

Structural engineer: Barry Honeysett

Services design: Green Building Store

Passivhaus Consultant: Jonathan Davies, Juraj Micurcik

Passivhaus Certifier: Zero Energy + Passivhaus

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Further information
Parc y Rhodyn Passivhaus & Embodied Carbon Passivhaus: the route to zero carbon? Passivhaus Net Zero Primers Passivhaus Plus & Premium
30th March 2023

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Hemp blocks provide better insulation and thermal performance compared to concrete, resulting in energy-efficient buildings with lower heating and cooling costs.

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What are the Benefits of Hemp Blocks?

Hemp blocks offer a wide range of advantages that contribute to sustainable building practices. Here are some key benefits:

Sustainability: Hemp is a highly sustainable crop, requiring minimal pesticides and herbicides for cultivation. It grows quickly and absorbs a significant amount of carbon dioxide during its growth cycle. By using hemp blocks, builders can reduce the carbon footprint of construction projects.

Thermal Efficiency: Hemp blocks have excellent thermal properties, providing superior insulation compared to traditional building materials. The porous structure of hemp blocks allows for effective regulation of temperature and humidity, leading to energy-efficient buildings with reduced heating and cooling needs.

Fire and Pest Resistance: Hemp blocks exhibit exceptional fire resistance, making them a safer alternative in construction. Additionally, the natural properties of hemp make it resistant to pests and mould, reducing the need for chemical treatments and enhancing the durability of structures.

Acoustic Performance: The density of hemp blocks contributes to excellent acoustic insulation, minimizing noise transfer between rooms and creating a more comfortable living or working environment.

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