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Always featuring numerous articles on a wide range of eco-building projects from all around the UK, most of which are written by the very people that designed or built them. It is the ideal read for architects, builders, developers, self builders and anyone interested in eco-building, including interested homeowners/clients.
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Work starts on Passivhaus barn refurb |
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17 Oct 2012, 9:49 AM
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A pioneering low energy retrofit of a derelict farm building at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's Stirley Community Farm in Huddersfield has just commenced work on site. The design & build project will transform the barn into an all-purpose, flexible educational centre and space.
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A super-insulated timber frame structure will be built into the existing stone building, preserving the outward appearance of the barn, whilst offering EnerPHit* levels of performance. As well as working to high insulation and airtightness requirements, the project is developing some innovative solutions to supporting and working with the original stone barn structure, offering lessons for similar low energy retrofits in the UK.
In addition to the usual Passivhaus considerations of super insulation and airtightness, minimisation of thermal bridging and use of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, the project will be tackling issues such as structural stability of the original barn structure, and prevention of water penetration from the stone walls and rising damp. In order to support and shore up the stone walls, the inner frame will brace the original barn fabric through a purpose-designed tie system, developed by a team from Green Building Store and structural engineers. To minimize thermal bridging with this system, the tie connection to the inner timber structure has been carefully detailed to ensure it is fully insulated.
Clients Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have embraced the Passivhaus 'fabric first' approach of maximising the energy efficiency of the building fabric to reduce energy use to an absolute minimum. The EnerPHit 'Cre8 barn' will complement what the Trust is trying to achieve at the Community Farm.
Rob Stoneman, Chief Executive at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust said: "The greatest threat to wildlife across the globe is now undoubtedly a changing climate which is estimated to lead to the extinction of 90% of Earth's biodiversity. This is why Yorkshire Wildlife Trust must play its part to avoid climate catastrophe as part of its work to conserve wildlife here in Yorkshire. The design of the EnerPHit Cre8 barn, will ensure that its heating requirements are tiny - a public example to show how good design can be used to retrofit low carbon living into old buildings; breathing new life into derelict buildings in more ways than one."
The Cre8 barn is being built using funding from Veolia Environmental Trust and will be an education centre for the many volunteers and visitors to the farm. With a communal kitchen, demonstration area and meeting space planned the barn will accommodate both formal and informal education sessions, from school kids to trainees working towards accredited qualifications.
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