Implementing Passivhaus in your practice: learning from case studies
With climate emergency on many local councils agenda, now is the time more than ever for architects to grapple with low to zero energy housing.
Come and join the RIBA Somerset Passivhaus event presenting a comprehensive insight into implementing Passivhaus in a practice followed by a variety of real case studies. You will hear presentations by experienced RIBA architects and a low energy consultant, all sharing their experience of Passivhaus in their projects.
Event schedule
4.45pm - Delegate registration
5.00pm - Introductions by the RIBA Somerset Branch
Speakers
Ann-Marie Fallon RIBA
Ann-Marie is an Architect and Certified Passivhaus Designer, part of one of the first batch of Certified EU Passivhaus Designers in the UK in 2009. Having gained significant Passivhaus experience in Ireland, Ann-Marie is lead delivery architect for the next phase in the UK’s largest Passivhaus development Agar Grove, currently under construction with Hill Partnerships Ltd. She also has also extensive experience in the delivery of the Passivhaus EnerPHit standard in the residential context and is Associate Architect on the first Passivhaus through-school in Machynlleth Wales. She actively participates in practice-led research and development within Architype across other projects. Ann-Marie is a part-time teaching fellow at the University of Bath since 2014. She is also visiting external examiner for Architectural Technology and for the Part 3 Architecture Examination in the Dublin School of Architecture and has a Masters in Environmental Design of Buildings from Cardiff University.
Tomas Gaertner RIBA, SE3 Design
Focus on health implications around Passivhaus
Tomas is a qualified architect and a director of SE3D, a RIBA Chartered, design led practice specialising in human centered, high performance design. He is a certified Passivhaus designer and a certified Building Biologist IBN, one of the most stringent German healthy building performance standards.
Passivhaus is often seen as being synonymous with large amounts of highly processed, petrochemical, high performance insulation and air tightness products, complicated detailing and services strategies. Early adopters focussed too strongly on reducing energy demand and carbon emissions and neglecting the impacts on indoor air quality, humidity and dust levels. Improved research and rising public awareness of the impact from plastics, glues, timber treatments, engineered wood boards and air pollution is causing a shift in priorities. Examples of alternative ‘no plastic’ Passivhaus designs have already been delivered in the UK, focussing on low-processed, non-petrochemical, natural materials and resulting in improved indoor air quality and health benefits for their occupants.
Using build examples and monitoring data from his own personal career of having been involved with more than 200 Passivhaus dwellings, offices, leisure and education facilities, the speaker will illustrate different approaches to design, detailing, procurement and construction, avoiding highly processed plastics and share the learnings from an architect perspective, how to deliver higher performing, healthier and more profitable buildings for clients.
