meant lower solar gains and slightly more heat loss. This was balanced by a combination of increased levels of insulation in the roof and internally insulating the outward-opening window frames.” Finding an architect and a builder conversant with Passivhaus techniques within convenient travelling distance of the site was a priority; Stephen admits that there was quite a small pool of suitably-qualified possibilities, but he had no regrets whatsoever about the people he chose. Starting in March 2016, the build itself only took 12 months from start to finish, quite an achievement for a Passivhaus of 158 m2
. It cost
£350,000, with Stephen selling his previous house and living in rented accommodation for the duration. Old Forge Cottage has now been valued at £750,000.
Did he get hands-on with the construction
process? He laughs, saying, “No! I am a solicitor and not very practical. I stuck with the contracts, warranties and agreements, which is more my bag!” He credits his builder, I & C Watts of
Harrogate, North Yorkshire, as an absolutely vital part of the success of the project: “The site foreman, Mark Thomason, was experienced and knew what he was doing from the start.” He adds that the whole build team were “brilliant,” being highly experienced with five Passivhaus projects already under their tool-
42
www.sbhonline.co.uk
“There is just one radiator in the whole house”
belts: “When the house was tested it got one of the highest ever air-tightness ratings. To comply, you have to get 0.6 and this house is 0.1.” Such a protracted project required great
reserves of patience from Stephen – and his elder daughter, 24-year-old hairdresser Daisy, who shares her father’s new house and loves its warmth and comfort – but he does credit his own professional background with providing him with the necessary project management skills and an ability to delegate areas of responsibility. “My overall advice would be to make sure that you get the right advisors on board and let them do their jobs,” he says. “I got the experts to advise and guide us on the technical specification; I’m used to doing high level work and managing things. I know that people can save themselves an absolute fortune by doing various things themselves, but I had no intention of wading in and attempting to do the jobs of other professionals.” However, Stephen does point out that he believes that the building industry as a whole needs to upskill in order to deliver homes which
july/august 2019
HIGH POINT
“I was quoted an eye- watering £12,000 for the demolition of the old cottage, but I managed to find a builder to do it for £1 in return for the old stone.” – Stephen Cirell
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