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assivhaus is probably a lot less expensive than you think, that’s not only the assertion of co-director at the Passivhaus Trust, Ann-Marie Fallon, on our 101st Building Insights podcast, which just landed. It’s also about to be proved with compelling research due to be published, which is likely to change the case for mainstreaming Passivhaus.


The really attention-grabbing part of Ann-Marie’s fantastic discussion (almost treatise) on Passivhaus however was that is a guarantee of quality which will not only protect consumers and clients, but contractors, as quality expectations ramp up. Post-Building Safety Act, we have Principal Designers and Principal Contractors, but now we also have a pair of retrospective limitations which extend back to 15 years for newer schemes, but also 30 years for schemes designed before 2022. While Passivhaus isn’t strictly about building safety, the new culture of accountability for decision-making, transparency and change control is being forced by such ruthless new strictures. It’s to be welcomed, but it’s also hugely demanding for everyone in the sector, used to a very different, cost-focused set of priorities. However, as Ann-Marie points out, Passivhaus stands as a ready-made, not to say onerous, system of quality assurance, which can give construction teams the surety that they have abided by a golden thread process. As well as costs coming down progressively, even in the current materials infl ation context, this could be game-changing.


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London has been the hotbed of Passivhaus at scale so far, with for example Barratt London committing to building all new homes to the standard (although medium or high-rise apartments rather than houses). This may be pragmatic, to avoid having to be part of heat networks – which will short term be fossil fuel in any case – but the result is likely to be an unseen level of mainstream Passivhaus residential projects in the capital. The Mayor and GLA has to take some credit for this, with the London Plan having driven constructors to achieve Passivhaus as a default target for hitting the demanding building effi ciency goals the boroughs want to see.


The robustness with which London has driven through new standards is seen to be something that other Mayors should be emulating, particularly around calling-in worthy projects which planners are unhappy about, for central direction. But some across the sector are concerned to know just how far this will extend, and what the criteria will be.


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The hope is that the age of the NIMBY will be forcibly ended, and this might be a requirement to get certain Passivhaus projects through, regardless of their design qualities. It’s about time that broader concerns were brought to bear rather than just the vested interests of individuals, on a national basis. But those NIMBYs won’t go down without a fi ght.


James Parker, Editor


FROM THE EDITOR


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THE CHANCERY ROSEWOOD How David Chipperfi eld Architects turned the former US Embassy in Grosvenor Square into a super-luxe hotel


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ON THE COVER... How David Chipperfi eld Architects turned the former US Embassy in Grosvenor Square into a super-luxe hotel.


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