Cornwall Passivhaus
Our clients – Stephen and Lois – are in the middle of the planning process for a major rebuild project to transform their bungalow into an energy-efficient house, aiming to achieve Passive House certification. We spoke to them about their vision, challenges, and the exciting aspects of their Cornwall Passivhaus project. They shared their top tips, advice and a few frustrations.
The vision
The main driver for undertaking this project is to create a comfortable and sustainable living space for their retirement, taking into account factors such as energy efficiency and environmental impact. Due to issues with the existing structure, they’re going for a full rebuild and say ‘we bought this small bungalow years ago for our retirement. It’s in an deal location for us, with lovely views. Unfortunately it is draughty, damp, has a roof that needs retiling and is generally in need of major refurbishment.”
Unexpected hurdles
Despite being in the early planning stages, Stephen and Lois have encountered unexpected challenges with their Cornwall Passivhaus. First, they needed to scale back the property’s size due to rising building costs Additionally, an Ecology Survey became a requirement during the formal application process. Stephen added that we still needed this even though “ours is a small suburban setting with no evidence of bats or other endangered species. This is a busy time of year for Ecologists and we’ve had difficulty in finding one.” These unforeseen obstacles have caused delays and adjustments to the original timeline, but are something the Eco Design Consultants team can help navigate. Keep an eye on our blog posts for the upcoming blog on all things ecology.
The challenges
Finding a builder willing to take on the unique project and accommodating all the requirements within a compact footprint has been daunting and has required creative solutions. Nevertheless, Stephen and Lois remain optimistic. With perseverance and the right team, they believe they can achieve their goal of a sustainable and comfortable home. Stephen has even created a model to visualise the design changes, helping Lois see the future home more clearly and they said of the modle “It’s been through a few design changes along the way (so it is past its best), but it really helped us picture it.”
When it gets exciting
Despite the hurdles, Stephen and Lois are thrilled about the design aspect. Working closely with Lucy from Eco Design Consultants, they’re eager to bring their vision to life. Lois eagerly anticipates moving into their new home once the build is complete.
Good luck to Stephen and Lois on their project!
If you’d like to take part or have a project you’d like to know a little more about it, then please email studio@edc.eco to chat. You can also read more about Passivhaus here.
