Energy-Positive Passivhaus Plus Self Build with High-Performance Glazing

The owners of this striking home – which has been named Hayrick – wanted to create more than simply an energy efficient property. The young family wanted to achieve one of the UK’s highest eco standards: Passivhaus Plus. Their vision was for a bio-based home that would not only produce more energy than it used, but also provide outstanding comfort and longevity, while treading lightly in terms of its environmental footprint.

High-quality window and door systems were key to match the precision and integrity of the rest of the build. The owners needed a partner with deep expertise in Passivhaus-standard glazing solutions. So, they turned to ecoHaus Windows & Doors, engaging the company as a technical partner at the early design phase. This approach ensured the bespoke glazing would integrate seamlessly with the prefabricated building fabric – thus fulfilling the project’s ambitious performance targets and avoiding any pitfalls in terms of thermal bridging or air leakage.

Stanley Bragg Architects was appointed to develop a scheme focused on simplicity, while taking advantage of natural materials and modern construction in order to achieve exceptional performance. Along with the glazing, key features include EcoCocon’s straw-panel structural system, cellulose insulation, an air source heat pump, deep roof overhangs to control solar gain, and on-site energy generation from a solar PV array.

All in the detail

“Passivhaus success comes down to detail,” says Craig Luff, MD at ecoHaus. “Our role was to ensure the glazing package worked in harmony with the straw panels, maintaining thermal continuity and airtightness without compromising on design.” The company specified, supplied and installed triple-glazed Internorm window and door systems, featuring U-values as low as 0.68 W/m²K – insulating against heat loss while allowing generous daylight into the home.

more from ecoHaus windows & doors

This project features Internorm’s HF410, HV450 and HS330 systems, from ecoHaus WIndows & Doors. Photo: Matthew Smith Architectural Photography

A combination of triple-seal gaskets, airtight frame-to-panel junctions and optimised glass coatings helped achieve the home’s stringent airtightness and thermal standards. Solar control glazing was carefully specified in order to balance natural light with overheating mitigation, ensuring year-round comfort. The result is a home that achieves exceptional performance metrics, including 0.41 air changes per hour at 50 Pa, a space heating demand of just 13.4 kWh per m² of floorspace per year (KWh/m²/a), and on-site renewable generation of 69.4 kWh/m²/a.

Photo: Matthew Smith Architectural Photography

The ecoHaus team managed the fitting and quality assurance process, including pre-installation airtightness checks and precision alignment to Passivhaus tolerances, working closely with contractor DCH Construction to maintain the project’s detailing and integrity from design to completion. “Our in-house installation teams are Passivhaus-trained,” says Craig. “This means we can guarantee that what’s designed on paper is actually achieved in the build, and that’s where real performance comes from.”