Why Passivhaus design is worth the money

Each winter Passivhaus buildings all around Europe throw open their doors to allow visitors to experience these buildings first hand. I chose to visit a Passivhaus housing development on the edge of Frankfurt of terraced family houses.

The development showcased robust build quality, with excellent overall layout and space provision. They were light and airy with large windows and a good internal environment.

Typically for German houses they were built with cellars which in this case were partly used to house MVHR t(Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery) equipment, solar thermal stores and ground source heat pump equipment. All of which were beautifully laid out in precision engineering style. The houses also had gardens and large roof terrace areas.

So far a quarter of the houses, which are approximately 16% more expensive than standard German houses of similar type and design, have been sold. This clearly suggests that buyers are happy to pay a premium for a higher quality and environmentally superior product.

But Passivhaus houses don't have to be more expensive. Recent research from the Passivhaus Institut in Darmstadt suggests that once the initial skills learning curves for developers, designers and contractors are over, it is often possible to build Passivhaus buildings more easily and for less money than conventional buildings of similar types.

If a sign is needed of how quickly interest in Passivhaus design is growing in the UK, take note of the decision to move a recent London talk by Wolfgang Feist (designer of the Passivhaus ‘system’) from RIBA headquarters to a larger venue to accommodate the 200 delegates from all sectors of the construction industry.

Hopefully in the coming year we'll this interest lead to see more Passivhaus buildings going up in the UK.