Frequently Asked Questions
What is passive design?
Passive design is design that creates an ultra-low energy building by focusing on high performance building fabric and airtightness and using mechanical ventilation with heat recover to ensure optimum comfort for occupants. As an experienced Passive House Architect serving Westmeath and the Midlands, at H2 Projects we focus on getting the design right first. It is important to understand that Passive standards do not mean you need a small box shaped house with tiny windows. On the contrary it is very possible to have contemporary design that meets modern requirements with contemporary materials and aesthetics.
While the standard is often referred to as ‘Passive House’ after the German Institute of that name that devised the standard, we like to use the words ‘Passive design’ to emphasize that it does not just apply to houses. It is possible to design all building types including, schools, offices and apartment buildings with these standards. Specific standards were first set out by the Passive House Institute way back in 1996 and so the methods have been well tried and tested and proven successful.
While it is not essential, it is possible to have your building certified has meeting the Passive House Standard , there are three levels of certification, Classic, Plus and Premium depending on the specifics of your project. In our experience, many clients will find the added quality control and documentary evidence that comes with certification adds significantly to the resale value of their asset , in addition to the dramatically lower running costs and increased indoor air quality achieved
Useful links:
Passive House Institute: https://passivehouse.com/
Passive House Association of Ireland: https://phai.ie/
Passive House Plus Magazine: https://passivehouseplus.ie/
If you think Passive Design is something that might be of interest to you, don’t hesitate to get in touch for a no obligation discussion about your project.
Does passive design cost more?
The (not so) simple answer is “yes and no”. There is common a perception that Passive Design is very expensive, and is effectively a ‘nice to have’ but unaffordable option. As experienced property developers and project managers, as well as Architects serving the Midlands, we appreciate the importance of getting the capital costs of a project right from the outset. It is true that passive features will likely bring up the capital cost of the project. However, the increase may not be as much as you might think , and when considered over the lifetime of the asset, Passive design is usually significantly cheaper than traditional construction methods.
At H2 Projects we will generally start with a Passive Design standard and can provide life cycle cost benefit assessments to inform client decisions. In that way a client can decide whether they wish to go for a certified Passive House or relax the standards to suit the project but also to meet their specific needs and capital cost restrictions
Do I need planning permission, what is exempted development?
As Architects that have been involved in the planning process for over 30 years there is not much we have not seen, including complex commercial applications, third-party observations, and appeals to an Bord Pleanála (now An Coimisiún Pleanála). Our Architect Services cover projects across Ireland. So how do you know if you need planning or if what you are proposing to do is exempt?
Regulation in this area is regularly changing, but the principal requirements are set out in The Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (S.I. 600 of 2001), which despite the name has been changed many times since 2001. The Irish Government has published a convenient, but unofficial consolidation of these regulations, see link below.
So, what does all that mean?
Can I extend my house without planning permission, for example?
The answer to that is yes, however there are conditions. Schedule 2 of Regulations sets out a Class 1 exemption which outlines what can be done without planning which would need to be reviewed carefully in the context of what you are proposing. In general, if the house is to the rear and does not exceed 40m² then you are likely okay without planning. If the house has previously been extended this will need to be included and any first floor cannot be greater than 20m² (or 12m² if the house is semi-detached or terrace). There are also rules to ensure the extension does not get too close to the boundary and there remains enough garden open space. So, it can get a little complex and we recommend giving us a call and we would be happy to discuss what you are hoping to achieve.
Useful link:
Unofficial consolidation of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001- 2025
What is a deep retrofit?
A retro fit of your property to improve energy performance is something many of us will likely have considered at some point, like putting insulation in the attic or upgrading to a more efficient boiler. A Deep Retrofit is simply a comprehensive approach which involves assessing the existing fabric, heating systems and energy consumption in a building and devising a strategy for upgrading the overall performance of the building. It will likely rank improvements in order of ease of implementation and cost benefit. This forms part of our core Architect Services and focus on sustainable design.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) provides a number of Grants to business and home owners to assist with the costs. These grants can be significant, and as experienced Architects Ireland-wide, we can assist with the process of assessing which upgrades might be suitable for your property and maximizing your grant potential.
What is embodied carbon?
New sustainable buildings constructed are becoming more and more energy efficient all the time. Building Regulations have moved the dial significantly, and new homes are normally a BER A3 or better. This means the house will consume between 50 and 75 kWh/m²/year of primary energy. The BER rating focuses solely on the energy required to operate the building on an ongoing basis (heating, lighting, etc.). It does not consider all of the energy that has been used to construct the home. This is a key area of focus for Architects Ireland-wide.
As buildings become more efficient in relation to operational energy, the proportion of embodied energy becomes a more significant factor. So much so that the Irish Government, on foot of EU Directives, has mandated that embodied energy and related carbon emissions (the ‘embodied carbon’) must be reported on all new buildings over 1000m² on a gradual basis. The Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) is currently deriving a National Methodology to ensure this is reported in a standardized manner (to ensure we compare apples with apples). The term applied is Global Warming Potential (GWP) and its calculation must consider the full life cycle of materials and methods used in accordance with I.S. EN 15978:2011. This divides the lifecycle into a number of Stages as follows:
A – Production and Construction
B – In use
C – End of Life
D – Benefits from re-cycling/reuse/recovery.
As you might imagine, this can become a complex process to calculate and record, and the use of digital technologies (like BIM) to assist in this architectural design process is a key factor. 3D models of large-scale projects are effectively a database of all the components in a building. By extracting this data in a structured way, they can be connected to material and product specifications using standardized classification systems, allowing the overall carbon emissions to be calculated more easily. Other greenhouse gasses and harmful refrigerants are converted to CO₂ equivalent to allow for a single score and easier comparison of different projects and construction methods.
This requirement does not yet apply for individual homes, but it is coming that similar to a BER for operational energy, we will need a similar rating for embodied energy. H2 Projects’ Architect Services incorporate this forward-thinking approach to ensure the long-term sustainability of your project in the Midlands.