Highfields Passivhaus
Pentan are Passivhaus designers and our Passivhaus scheme, at Highfields, Cardiff, provides 28 new one-bed and two-bed apartments and 12 new mews houses on Allensbank Road in the Heath. The scheme incorporates a number of low-cost home ownership and affordable apartments for Cardiff Council and is Part of the Cardiff Living partnership with Wates Residential. The scheme, unlike any other in Wales to date, provides a high level of occupant comfort while using very little energy for heating and cooling. This is key to the reduction of running costs for the residents and helping to tackle fuel poverty.
The apartments at Highfields Passivhaus are arranged in a simple rectangular volume for efficient Passivhaus form factor, with the apartments orientated east-west to ensure appropriate levels of solar gain, avoiding north facing dwellings, and with carefully designed balcony structures which also integrate solar shading. The 2.5 storey height of the apartment block was carefully considered to sit comfortably within the context of smaller residential neighbours.
Several new Passivhaus houses are located on Allensbank Road. Arranged in two short terraces of 6 homes to optimise the buildings form factor, with their elevations have been carefully designed to ensure that a careful balance between solar gain and overheating is achieved. This negates the need for any additional solar shading to ensure that they sit comfortably within the existing, surrounding residential context.
Air tightness was achieved through an internal parge coat to the clay block walls, with window reveals lined with plywood boxing and taped to ensure tight seal at openings, and an intelligent vapour check airtight membrane at ceiling level. Renewable technology was also included in the form of a Passivhaus certified mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, combined with an air-source heat pump to provide the heating system, and solar panels to generate hot water.
Pentan are Passivhaus designers and our Passivhaus scheme, at Highfields, Cardiff, provides 28 new one-bed and two-bed apartments and 12 new mews houses on Allensbank Road in the Heath. The scheme incorporates a number of low-cost home ownership and affordable apartments for Cardiff Council and is Part of the Cardiff Living partnership with Wates Residential. The scheme, unlike any other in Wales to date, provides a high level of occupant comfort while using very little energy for heating and cooling. This is key to the reduction of running costs for the residents and helping to tackle fuel poverty.
The apartments at Highfields Passivhaus are arranged in a simple rectangular volume for efficient Passivhaus form factor, with the apartments orientated east-west to ensure appropriate levels of solar gain, avoiding north facing dwellings, and with carefully designed balcony structures which also integrate solar shading. The 2.5 storey height of the apartment block was carefully considered to sit comfortably within the context of smaller residential neighbours.
Several new Passivhaus houses are located on Allensbank Road. Arranged in two short terraces of 6 homes to optimise the buildings form factor, with their elevations have been carefully designed to ensure that a careful balance between solar gain and overheating is achieved. This negates the need for any additional solar shading to ensure that they sit comfortably within the existing, surrounding residential context.
Air tightness was achieved through an internal parge coat to the clay block walls, with window reveals lined with plywood boxing and taped to ensure tight seal at openings, and an intelligent vapour check airtight membrane at ceiling level. Renewable technology was also included in the form of a Passivhaus certified mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, combined with an air-source heat pump to provide the heating system, and solar panels to generate hot water.
