Paragraph 55 Zero Energy Home

Warwickshire

This Passivhaus Premuim Zero Energy Home was granted planning approval under Paragraph 55 of the National Planning Policy Framework and is likely to be the UKs first Passivhaus Premium. It is extremely rare that a new build house would be given permission to be built in the open countryside. This designed succeeded following wide recognition of its exceptional architectural quality and outstanding innovation.

The house is on a fantastic site in Warwickshire Open Countryside. The concept for the plan has been driven by an adjacent double moated site, which resembles a figure of 8 in appearance, containing a smaller and larger square shaped moat. The proposed roofscape appears over the hedge line as two organic mounds of timber shingle that blend with the surrounding landscape.

The design includes a Trombe Wall along with many other passive design techniques. The external walls and roof are formed with prefabricated straw bale panels that are clad in cedar shingles. The environmental strategy for the house works by zoning the accommodation into living areas, sunspaces and unheated spaces. Sunspaces and unheated spaces create a thermal buffer between the living areas and outside. We utilise traditional passive heating and cooling mechanisms such as a trombe wall and then stitch that natural science to the passivhaus model.

Electricity for appliances, water heating and charging the car is provide via on site PV with a battery store. This is an interesting case study for becoming unreliant on the grid, particularly for housing in rural environments where supplies can be limited. Although this is a first of its kind bespoke house, the sustainability strategy can be packaged up, its fully scalable and it can be retrofitted.