A green community hub in St Helens, Merseyside, has recently secured Passivhaus certification with the help of Internorm’s window and door systems.
Frames Direct, the Sales and installation partner, won the contract due to the thermal performance Internorm’s HV240 range could offer the newly built property.
Owned by North West housing association Helena Partnerships, the Green Base is one of the few Passivhaus-certified buildings in the UK and offers typical energy savings of around 90% compared to a normal building. The eco-friendly community hub and surrounding sustainable landscape is based at the heart of a large housing estate and provides a place for local residents to learn about green space,horticulture and the environment. It is also home to the housing association’s in-house Green Space Service.
To meet Passivhaus standards, the Green Base required high performing windows and doors. Internorm, which offers nine Passivhaus-certified window and door systems, provided its HV240 range to complete the project. The triple glazed timber-aluminium windows come in a range of colour finishes to suit the design of any building and actively maximise energy gain.
Whilst minimising thermal losses, the windows are also designed to optimise thermal gain and achieve Ug values of up to 0.5 W/m2K, in comparison to conventional double glazed windows that often lie around 1.4W/m2K. The HV240 window system allows vast amounts of natural light into the building and with integral blinds the occupants can control the amount of sunlight and solar irradiation entering in the summer months. Internorm’s Fix-O-Round technology is integrated into the window system to improve stability, security, thermal insulation and soundproofing.
“We were aware of the high specification the Green Base was required to meet in order to gain Passivhaus certification,” Paul Barrett from Frames Direct commented. “Internorm’s HV240 range, which can be specified as a Passivhaus component, innovatively combines design and function and greatly contributes to the 90% energy savings required to meet the Passivhaus standard. The Green Base features well-positioned windows tooffer as much light into the building as possible.”
In addition to the installation of Internorm’s windows, the Green Base incorporated a range of energy-saving features into the design of the building to achieve its Passivhaus-certification. The south-facing building utilises the direct sunlight for heat and light and solar photovoltaic panels on the roof generate its electricity. Many of the building materials were locally sourced and much of the furniture is recyclable.
Liz Ackerley, Green Space Manager at Helena Partnerships, said: “The Green Base is widely used by members of the local community and, further afield, acts as an example of best practice in sustainability. We chose Internorm’s HV240 range due to the strong thermal benefits it provides and are pleased with outcome, which effectively utilises the Green Base’s south facing properties.”