By definition, low energy should equal low carbon. Certainly, lower running costs will encourage a wider interest, particularly among the public and commercial sector, but enhanced, not reduced, comfort levels are what John Williamson of JPW believes will be a large factor in the adoption of the PassivHaus standard in the UK until legislation potentially forces the construction industry to adopt a UK derivative.

A tranche of twenty-first century timber hi-rise projects are emerging across Europe, aimed at squaring the compact city hi-density circle with the demands of zero energy housing. Oliver Lowenstein looks at WaughThistleton’s ground-breaking Murray Grove in London, along with further projects in Germany, Norway and Sweden, in the first of this two-part series. Several countries in Europe are in the midst of building medium, to hi-rise buildings. Unsurprisingly, this is a building aspiration which is unlikely to disappear. While not on the level of the hyper hi-rise buildings found across the planet, from Shanghai to Dubai to New York, timber hi-rise’s emergence signals how change is afoot.

This issue includes yet more articles on pioneering designers and builders who are keen to achieve very low energy buildings and have decided that the best route for achieving this would be the Passivhaus or the AECB’s Gold/Silver standards.

This issue focuses on renovation and the AECB carbonlite/passivhaus standards, thermal upgrade options, energy calculation dynamic software and lots more.

This issue of green building magazine examines in detail the code for Sustainable Homes and how designers and builders can work within its framework to achieve high ranking homes. We also include a number of critiques of the code in the hope the the government will rethink certain aspects such as the water and energy expectations.