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We have been collaborating with Curo on their flagship scheme, Mulberry Park in Bath. Following the scuccessful technical delivery of phase 1, the attention was turned to phases 3 & 4. During the planning stage for Phase 3, it was discovered that the sustainability credentials expected for the scheme had become much more onerous. Not content with simply carrying out a box ticking exercise, we presented the PassivHaus concept to Curo and the local council, as a way of not only meeting, but far surpassing the high sustainability credentials set out within the planning policy. A 4 unit terrace was chosen within the phase 3 layout, which has been designed and recently fully certified as PassivHaus. The specification is such that heat losses are kept to a minimum, through a combination of high levels of insulation, no air leakage, a mechanical ventilation heat recovery system, triple glazed windows and insulated doors as well as clever manipulation of the buildings orientation. This fabric first design will mean the heating requirements for the homes will be far lower than standard building regulation rated buildings, offering the owners reduced energy bills and a more comfortable environment to live in. 

This specialist design service is provided by our own in house certified PassivHaus Designers Oliver Henshall and Dr. Antony Davies, and experienced technical team. The success of the Phase 3 design has meant that phase 4 will also have two 4 unit terraces, with the plan of rolling out PassivHaus units on most new Curo schemes in the future.

Oliver Henshall, Technical Associate Powell Dobson Architects said “It has been a very exciting and demanding 3 years in the making to get this project over the line. I am delighted that we have shown what is possible with low energy and sustainable design, but the biggest smile from me came from seeing the families being given the keys to these homes. You get so tied up in the calculations and technical data, that you forget the main purpose of following this concept is to give the end user a beautifully engineered, comfortable, affordable home to love and cherish. I wish them every happiness, and hope they enjoy their new certified PassivHaus’s!”