Passivhaus Home with SIPS

Here at Clays@SIPS we have been involved with an extremely exciting project. We have been working alongside Roger Tiffany ltd to produce a Passivhaus home in Hawksworth, Leeds. A Passivhaus home originates from Germany. For a Passivhaus home to be completed it must stick to extremely tight regulations, far superior to UK building regulations.

SIPS was chosen for this project because of the environmental benefits that come with using structural insulated panels.

The structure itself consists of a SIPS frame, largely clad on the outside with local random stone. This gives the house a typical external appearance. Inside is where things start to get interesting. The structural insulated panels (SIPS) allow for a further 250mm of unbroken insulation.

The taped internal membrane ensures excellent air tightness, whilst thermal breaks wherever structural members breach the building’s envelope minimise cold-bridging and heat loss.

As part of the Passivhaus criteria the house has been fitted with triple glazed windows and doors. The home will also been fitted with mechanical ventilation with a heat recovery system to provide a comfortable environment. The extraction system also reduces the moisture levels within the bathrooms and kitchen.