Every year, Passivhaus buildings across the UK open their doors to visitors. Whether you are a self-builder, a built environment professional or an individual interested in learning more about Passivhaus design, this event offers an invaluable opportunity to experience the comfort and quality of a Passivhaus. Meet and talk to the owners or professionals involved to find out more first-hand.
The 2024 Winter Edition of the UK Passivhaus Open Days includes some exciting projects by our members as well as homes that have featured in the ASBP Awards. Full details of all the participating properties can be seen on the Passivhaus Trust website, together with the dates and booking information.
Here’s a selection of the buildings you can visit.
ASBP Members PYC invite you to visit their Passivhaus offices in Welshpool, Powys.
The office is a hymn to timber, from the unusual end-grain birch floor tiles to the poplar internal lining and Douglas fir weatherboarding, as well as, of course, all the structural elements under the skin. PYC is dedicated to timber throughout its operations, striving to procure wood locally wherever possible, and most of the material in their offices comes from Welsh forests. The build system consists of a single stud frame constructed using timber i-beams, a structural choice that’s economical in material, strong and thermally high-performing. The insulation, too, is tree-based, via the printed word – PYC are the UK distributors of Warmcel cellulose fibre insulation, which is made from recycled newspaper collected from offices, schools, overruns from printing companies and kerbside collections. PYC are valued members of the ASBP Natural Fibre Insulation Group – you can find out more here.
Llama Croft Bio-based Passivhaus is the self-build home of Seb Laan Lomas (‘Unorthodox’ Associate at our Patron Members, Architype) and Janna Laan Lomas (Grain Architecture). This project in Hereford is well worth a visit. It is under construction, enabling visitors to see how they’re using natural materials to create a low-energy, low-carbon, non-toxic house.
Properties that have featured in ASBP Awards – Ostro Passivhaus (Kippen, Scotland) and Old Holloway (Herefordshire):
Ostro Passivhaus received an Honourable Mention in the 2022 ASBP Awards, and won the 2023 UK Passivhaus Awards (residential new build category). This contemporary certified Passivhaus dwelling has extremely low operational and embodied carbon emissions. Hand-built by the architect and her husband over several years the house is finished entirely in a striking diagonally orientated Siberian Larch rainscreen cladding, left untreated, which protects the high-performance construction behind.
The Open Day for Old Holloway is already sold out, and unless you are one of the lucky ones with tickets, you unfortunately cannot experience it in person at this #PHopendays. However, you can see a video recording of this amazing project here. With thanks to Ben Adam-Smith for the video recording and editing – http://www.regenmedia.co.uk.