Pond House | Passive House by forrester architects

Pond House is a Passive House designed by forrester architects in 2014. Located in Stalham Staithe, Norfolk Broads, UK, the new-build house measures 110m² (1,184ft²).

From the initial stages, the house has been developed under the Passivhaus Planning Package (PhPP). The PhPP was used as a key design tool and has been used to refine the building to ensure an energy efficient solution. A Passivhaus is a voluntary building standard. It exceeds the statutory requirements of the current UK building regulations. The principles of the Passivhaus concept aims to reduce the need for space heating and cooling. This is achieved by adopting a fabric first approach to the design. High levels of insulation to the thermal envelope with exceptional levels of air tightness. The need for heating need is reduced to the point where a traditional heating system is not considered essential. For example, the building is orientated due south but has been turned a further 10 degrees to the East. In the early morning, the bedrooms gain warmth a little earlier from the solar gain from the sun as it rises. East facing clerestory bedroom windows have been incorporated into building fabric.

The materials are simple yet robust. The house is clad with rough sawn untreated Siberian Larch, which is used not only for the walls but also across the entire roof. In response to our discussion with the Broads Authority the solar panels appear flush and integrated into to the roof . The installation of solar thermal and photovoltaic panels supplement the environmental strategy. Photovoltaic panels used to generate electricity and solar thermal panels used to heat the water. In keeping with the Broads Authority’s desire to encourage sustainable drainage. A sustainable drainage solution was employed. The SuDS proposal adopts many techniques. A water permeable terrace collects, treats and stores the rainwater to then release the water into the environment. A rainwater harvesting system has been incorporated for the provision of garden irrigation.

— forrester architects

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