Why should we be building Passivhaus? - John Butler - BS063
In this episode John explains the principles and requirements of Passivhaus construction. He dispels some common myths and goes into some of the nuances of how its achieved.
- Does living in a passivhaus mean living in a bubble?
- Can I open the windows in a passivhaus?
- How airtight should it be?
- What are the benefits of MVHR?
John's work can be found here: https://www.sustainablebuildconsultancy.com/
Links from this episode:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblique_Strategies
- https://passivehouse-international.org/
- https://www.passivhaustrust.org.uk/
- https://aecb.net/
- 1500 Passive house’s in UK as of November 2020 https://www.passivhaustrust.org.uk/news/detail/?nId=787
- https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/passivhaus
- The MVHR I chose for my tiny house - https://www.blauberg.co.uk/en/blauberg-uk-mvhr-heat-recovery-ventilation-range/decentralised-single-room-heat-recovery-ventilation-units
Connect with me
IG - @jeffreythenaturalbuilder
Twitter - @JNaturalBuilder
Facebook - Jeffreythenaturalbuilder
LinkedIn - Jeffreythenaturalbuilder
John Butler
Conduit of geek
Certified Passivhaus Consultant and AECB Carbonlite Retrofit graduate.
Hands-on experience of retrofit and new-build, combined with technical and theoretical knowledge of materials, thermal comfort, building physics, and environmental impact of construction.
Background: a long term interest in sustainability led me from my past career making pots and building kilns to a low-energy self-build retrofit project. It was a rapid introduction to sustainable construction, and the factors affecting material and design choices.
From there I went on to an MSc in Sustainability Adaptation and the Built Environment, from the Centre for Alternative Technology’s (CAT) inspiring Graduate School of the Environment. I have returned regularly to CAT as a visiting lecturer and workshop leader on the MSc and MArch programs.
Follow:
New to the podcast? Start here:
How to design the natural home of your dreams - Sigi Koko - BS070
Sigi Koko is the principal designer of Down to Earth Design, which she founded in 1998 to help her clients manifest their dreams of living in a natural, healthy home. She works exclusively on projects that are natural, ener...
How Buildings can Save the World - Chris Magwood - BS044
Chris Magwood not only has a huge wealth of experience building straw bale homes, but has the building science Masters degree to back up his experience. We discuss how the built environment can go from being the worst offend...
Solving damp problems with lime - Ben Kerslake - BS042
This week I am joined by Ben Kerslake from Carrington Lime . As well as a general geek out about lime, we mostly talk about how to solve damp problems in homes with some simple observation and materials choices. We …
Sand Stories - The sustainability of sand - Kiran Pereira - BS035
Kiran Pereira is the author of the forthcoming book Sand Stories: Surprising truths about the global sand crisis and the quest for sustainable solutions . Kiran was raised in India where she witnessed the impacts of indiscrim...
Mud, the ultimate building material - Becky Little - BS018
This week we have a conversation with mud mason, Becky Little from Rebearth . "Rebearth is a Scottish company founded by mud mason Becky Little. We specialise in building, art and education using raw earth and natural materia...
Prefabricated straw panels & magic mud - Bee Rowan - BS007
Natural builder, Bee Rowan talks to us about Ecococoon straw bale panels. These prefabricated panels are load bearing and highly insulating - the result is being able to build the entirety of your eco home in 2 days! We also …