Passivhaus Dwelling, Sussex

Features
Spacious 'upside-down' dwelling with countryside views. 
Passivhaus certified, super energy efficient home with renewable technologies.

The challenge

Adele & Mike decided on their retirement move to the countryside after experiencing their beloved family home slowly becoming surrounded by unwelcome redevelopment.

They bought a rural plot with planning permission but were not happy with the permitted design and approached Koru to re-design the whole house to suit their bespoke brief and sustainability goals. One of these goals was to design the house to Passivhaus standards.

Our approach

We rotated the floor plan by 90º to maximise passive solar energy gain and to give the living spaces the best views of the surrounding countryside. We also flipped the accommodation upside-down so that the bedrooms were on the ground floor and living rooms on the first floor to enjoy the views and easy access to the expansive upper garden area due to the sloping site.

Certified Passivhaus

The timber framed dwelling is ‘super-insulated’ with natural insulation and has the extreme level of air-tightness demanded of a Passivhaus. The small amount of heat needed is supplied by an air-source heat pump and the ventilation is provided by a heat recovery system, both helping to make this very low energy dwelling.

The result

The completed house is clad in western red cedar which will grey over time, helping it to blend in with its surroundings and the roof is zinc with roof lights and roof-integrated solar PV panels. The house has gained full Passivhaus certification and Adele & Mike will enjoy this extremely cheap to run forever-more family home.

Ready to discuss a project? Get in touch today.

01273 204065
info@koruarchitects.co.uk

Studio 221, 91 Western Road,
Brighton and Hove, BN1 2NW

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