Dedicated to DIY Passivhaus – St Ives

Tue 19 Sep 2023, 7:00pm – 8:00pm

Meet your host, Mark

With a background in engineering, Mark had always wanted a building project, so when he and his wife decided that their 1950s bungalow needed to be upgraded in 2013, little did he know that he would end up embarking on an incredible decade-long DIY journey of complete home transformation. Having discovered The Passivhaus Institute, Mark was determined that their extension and retrofit would aim for this standard. The result: profound improvements to comfort, energy efficiency and a doubling of living space.

Mark says: “In the design phase I discovered the Passive House institute and was hooked. My view is why would any house be built that didn’t at least get close to the standard.”

 

Follow-up on this impressive  New extension and retrofit Tour:

• Video of  Mark’s online Tour
• Slides from the tour
• PDF case study with details and links.

Key Features of this home

• Extension: Construction methods chosen for ease of DIY construction
• Designed and built to Passive House levels of insulation and air-tightness complete with MVHR.
• Cast subfloor slab on cell core to avoid underfloor ventilation.
• Tarmac turbo lightweight block walls with 200mm EWI
• Roof built to allow rooms-in-the-roof; extra thick rafters allow for insulation.
• Triple glazed doors and windows cantilevered into the middle of the insulation layer
• UFH fed from gas boiler
• Solar thermal system provides ¾ of hot water needs across the year; excess heat in the summer is dumped to the subfloor for ground dissipation

Our hosts top tips 

• Fabric first
• Do it right first time
• Don’t cut corners

 

Return to the full programme

 

Thanks to our 2023 Open Eco Homes funders and supporters