Passivhaus Trust to deliver series of advanced masterclasses

Following the success of the MVHR masterclass held earlier this year in London and Glasgow, the Passivhaus Trust, with the support of Saint-Gobain UK, has decided to run a series of advanced masterclass events covering specific issues surrounding the delivery of buildings to the Passivhaus standard.

A number of technical and other queries are regularly raised in discussions about Passivhaus projects in the UK, such as the effective design and operation of MVHR systems, or procurement approaches to ensure that the supply chain can deliver the quality needed.

These courses will build on the knowledge gained from certified training courses and introductory courses to provide expert knowledge and practical experience of successful delivery in the UK.

Over the course of the year, four Masterclass events will be held at the Saint-Gobain Innovation Centre in London:

• Passivhaus refurbishment (September 2013)
• Ensuring quality control on site (January 2014)
• Procurement, delivery and low‐cost Passivhaus (April 2014)
• Design and PHPP Masterclass (July 2014).

The structure of the Masterclass events will typically include an introductory session in the morning, followed by an advanced expert session in the afternoon, which will include a design exercise.

The events will be hosted at the recently opened Saint-Gobain Innovation Centre, which aims to provide a showcase for innovative and sustainable building products and solutions. The events will also be filmed, to help the Trust develop online video tutorials.

Jon Bootland, Chief Executive of the Passivhaus Trust said: “Passivhaus is taking off quickly in the UK and these Masterclasses will allow people to learn from the small group of experts who have a wealth of knowledge about how to deliver successful projects. We are delighted to be supported by Saint-Gobain in delivering the Masterclasses, both in terms of hosting the sessions at their Innovation Centre, but also because of their commitment to Passivhaus through the development of their Multi-Comfort House system”

Stacey Temprell, Sector Director for New Build at Saint-Gobain, said: “Saint-Gobain is committed to working with organisations like the Passivhaus Trust, assisting them in the education surrounding the principles of Passivhaus and our own Multi-Comfort housing principles.
 
“By using Passivhaus design principles and practices, Multi-Comfort buildings use very little energy for heating and cooling achieving a 75% reduction in space heating requirements compared to current standard practice for new-build homes, whilst providing the same high level of thermal comfort. Additional areas of comfort and wellbeing are also designed into Multi-Comfort buildings, including superior acoustics and indoor air quality.

“To demonstrate our commitment to the Multi-Comfort concept and it being anchored to the adherence of the Passivhaus performance levels as compulsory criteria, Saint-Gobain was an initial founder member and is now a patron member of the UK Passivhaus Trust. We’re delighted to continue to support the Passivhaus Trust in the delivery of these masterclasses at our Innovation Centre, in the centre of London, which is open to the public and available for a variety of uses by organisations committed to a sustainable built environment.”