A disastrous failed external insulation contract run under a government energy saving scheme has affected up to 390 homes in Preston with water penetration, mould and damp. This article was originally ...

Safeguarding historic documents and other artefacts requires stable building conditions. Until now this was usually achieved with the expensive and energy-hogging use of heating and cooling equipment, ...

This is a normal housing development – built using block cavity wall on strip foundations – meeting the minimum building regulations brief from the local authority, Simon Keogh, senior project ...

Having designed a number of passive house buildings for his employer Architype while enduring life in a chilly old cottage that cost £1,500 each winter to heat, architect Juraj Mikurcik and his wife ...

* Total delivered energy use, based on the first five months of monitored usage. The carbon intensity of electricity in Ireland has reduced by 50 per cent over the last 15 years and is on track to ...

This article was originally published in issue 49 of Passive House Plus magazine. Want immediate access to all back issues and exclusive extra content? Click here to subscribe for as little as €15, or ...

Heat recovery ventilation is an invaluable way to maintain indoor air quality in low energy buildings and minimise the loss of precious heat, but there are several issues to address to ensure optimal ...

Once poorly understood by the mainstream building industry, airtightness is now increasingly seen as one of the most crucial objectives on any building project. Not only is it vital for energy ...

With stiff fingers I bring the bike to a stop, swing my leg over the back wheel and push it up the drive to our house. I’m spent. For the last hour I’ve been slightly too cold, only able to maintain ...

The penny has yet to drop for many clients and designers about the risks posed by overheating in an Irish context. With the climate hotting up and building design typically uninformed by feedback on ...

Thermal bridges will most likely occur where one building element meets another, for example a wall meeting a window. This article was originally published in issue 45 of Passive House Plus magazine.

Built with a timber frame insulated with straw-bale, and featuring an extensive suite of ecological and recycled materials, this stunning North Yorkshire home also produces more energy than it ...