Colerne Private House

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This is a self-declared Passivhaus with more than 12 months’ data demonstrating it performs to the Passivhaus Standard. 

Our Role: Energy Consultant RIBA Stages 2-7 appointed by client

The client approached Delta Q for advice on designing and building a Passivhaus for their site, which boasts stunning southeast-facing views. We recommended the project team consisting of Delta Q, S2 Architects, and Greenheart Sustainable Construction to bring their vision to life.

We worked closely with the team through Stages 2 to completion, using PHPP modelling to ensure the design met Passivhaus standards. One of the key challenges was balancing the client’s desire for large windows that showcased the views with the need to prevent overheating. This was achieved through a combination of permanent and moveable shading, alongside a carefully planned window opening strategy. Additionally, we specified a heat pump for heating and hot water, as well as an MVHR system, collaborating with the installers to fine-tune the designs.

Since moving in, the client has been monitoring the house’s performance, which meets Passivhaus criteria for annual heating demand, PER, and overheating. The Passivhaus Institute confirmed that, based on its performance, the building can be considered a Passivhaus. This outcome reflects the high quality of work and collaboration from the entire team.

“Our decision to build to the Passivhaus standard was seeded with our growing understanding of the climate crisis and it rapidly became the driving force behind our project. Having contacted Warm in Plymouth, to discuss what was involved in the Passivhaus certification process, they subsequently recommended Piers Sadler at Delta Q, as a potential local contact, to progress the project. I still believe that this was one of the most important contacts we made, as not only did Piers offer a wealth of knowledge and expertise in Passivhaus design and construction, we also found our architect and main contractor through him. Piers was an instrumental component of the whole design and build process and his attention to detail paid dividends in the completed house.

The post occupancy data has been remarkably close to the performance predicted by the PHPP calculations and we have been particularly grateful for the guidance on the measures we incorporated to control overheating. Delta Q has also been extremely helpful following completion of the project, offering ongoing assistance with our data collection and advice on interpreting the results. We have often said that we would now always want to live in a Passivhaus, because of the efficiency, comfort and air quality building to this standard offers and if we did move and need to build again, we would have no hesitation in using Delta Q again.” Colerne Client