Portland SEND School Retrofit

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Ambitious refurbishment of 2012 building into an EnerPHit Special Educational Needs and Disabilities school. 

Our Role: Passivhaus Consultants RIBA Stages 3-4 appointed by main contractor

The building on the Isle of Portland was originally constructed as the press center for the 2012 Olympic sailing events. It is believed to be the first attempt to upgrade a modern insulated building to meet the EnerPHit Standard.

Morgan Sindall approached Delta Q for technical support during the tender process. Initially, the project was expected to involve external insulation. However, Delta Q identified an opportunity to adopt the EnerPHit Components method with internal insulation, providing a more cost-effective and practical solution. This approach played a key role in Morgan Sindall winning the tender.

In addition to the main building, there was a small new structure initially tendered as Passivhaus Classic. However, Delta Q advised that, due to its small size and single-story design, it would not be feasible to achieve Passivhaus Classic standards. A derogation from the client brief was successfully secured.

As part of the project, the team carried out a destructive investigation to assess the building’s construction. Delta Q conducted forensic analysis to evaluate the existing insulation’s quality and effectiveness. Based on these findings, we supported the team through Stage 4 design, developing strategies to enhance the insulation, particularly in areas of junctions, airtightness, and windtightness. We also conducted 2D and 3D thermal bridge modeling and used designPH and PHPP to support our designs. Additionally, we collaborated closely with Hydrock on ventilation, heating, domestic hot water systems, and strategies to address overheating concerns.