Passivhaus Net Zero – 12 Eco-friendly homes in a popular residential Cardiff suburb.
With the focus heavy on Passivhaus Net Zero future proofing homes. Lowfield Timber Frames has supplied and erected their timber kits for a development of 12 two-bedroom houses in Heath, Cardiff.
The homes are being built to strict Passivhaus standards. This offers improved health and wellbeing for occupants whilst requiring very low levels of energy for space heating or cooling. Using timber frame for the construction also lowers the carbon footprint of the development.
Here we have images detailing how the Passive House design works. The internal images show the airtightness layer of MEDITE Smartply Propassiv Board with all joints taped. The average air test result for these 12 dwellings came in at below 0.5 ACH. The Larsen truss panel utilised in this project was 330mm deep with the finished wall make-up being closer to 500mm.
The major benefit of a Passivhaus build is the reduced energy consumption during the operating life of the structure, leading to reduced energy costs, heating bills, and lower CO2 for the planet.
These houses are part of the ‘Cardiff Living’ programme, a 10-year partnership between Cardiff Council and Wates Residential, which will deliver 1,500 new homes at sites across the city.
Darren Jarman – Managing Director of Lowfield Timber Frames
“The Highfields scheme in Cardiff was just one of several Passivhaus scheme we have completed over the past 2 years. We now have an external wall build-up that not only meets the passivhaus standards, but also has extremely low embodied carbon credentials. The external wall has been fire tested and achieves the airtightness required, all in all, reducing the heating requirements and the running costs of the property. Whilst there are other products available which will achieve the airtightness, we feel the smartply propassiv is the most robust solution available and eliminates the possibility of accidental damage, resulting in a failed test”
Wates Residential for Cardiff Council
