GALLERY | Cumbria council office claims UK PassivHaus first
Westmorland and Furness Council’s £8.3m refurbishment of Voreda House is the first of its kind in the country, having secured a PassivHaus EnerPHit certification.
The council has turned the 16,000 sq ft block in Penrith into its service hub. Voreda House is where citizens can go to for help with children’s services adult social care, housing, public health, waste, and trading standards.
PassivHaus certification means the building has exceptional levels of air tightness and thermal efficiency, achieved through insulation, ventilation, and heat retention.
Westmorland and Furness’s capital programme team worked alongside Collinson Construction, Greengauge Building Energy Consultants, and 2030 Architects to achieve the Voreda House revamp. Its Passivhaus certification came from Etude.
“Having the first UK retrofit building of this type to gain PassivHaus EnerPHit certification within our portfolio of assets is a massive achievement for Westmorland and Furness Council,” said Cllr Peter Thornton, cabinet member for highways and assets.
“Voreda House is being presented as a positive case study within the construction and decarbonisation industries and is featured as an outstanding example at the 2024 UK Passivhaus Conference,” he continued.
“It reflects our ambition to manage our buildings in a modern, positive, and environmentally efficient way.”
The refurbishment of the former NHS office involved enveloping the entire building in insulation, including its pre-cast concrete roof and into the ground. The concrete external panelling was removed and replaced with a steel-frame system holding a carrying panel that has stone wool insulation. The building was then covered in lightweight dry-cassette cladding.
Air source heat pumps were introduced to Voreda House and solar panels were put on the roof as well.
The result is that during its first three months of operation energy usage in the building dropped by more than 68%. This enabled the council to save more than £15,000 compared to the same period last year.
Cllr Giles Archibald, cabinet member for climate, biodiversity, and environmental services, said: “By adhering to Passivhaus criteria in the retrofit of Voreda House, energy savings following its completion are contributing positively to the council’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and providing leadership in the drive to be carbon net zero. “
He added: “The benefits of building in this way will result in a consistent supply of fresh air throughout the building, meaning higher quality and more hygienic air supply. The durability of the building has been improved as well as the significant reduction in costs to heat and cool the building.”
While Voreda House may be the first council office to achieve EnerPHit certification – it is not the first office building to so in the UK. Others include River Studio in Leamington Spa, Admiral’s Hard in Plymouth, and Entopia in Cambridge.
Click any image to launch gallery. All images by Stuart Walker Photography, provided by Westmorland and Furness Council.
All for decarbonizing and energy efficiency but… The building was acquired arguably above market value, construction costs spiraled to £6 million over original budget, took nearly 2 years longer than originally planned… a case study of bad timing and local authority failings really.
By Anonymous