M1 MMC Sept '16 cc

MAKING A PASSIVHAUS A HOME
A stylish Passivhaus home in South Manchester has achieved exceptional levels of airtightness through a combination of careful
detailing and a high performance structure, provided by the Kingspan TEK Building System.
The Kingspan TEK Building
System has formed the structure
of a new Passivhaus home in
South Manchester.
Steve and Mel Howarth hired certified
Passivhaus designers, PHI Architects, to
create their dream home. After
considerable research, PHI selected the
Kingspan TEK Building System to form the
walls and roof of the structure. The firm
worked closely with highly experienced
Kingspan TEK Delivery Partners, Point1
Building Systems, to achieve an
extraordinarily energy efficient design.
Architect, Sara Darwin, discussed the project:
“Steve and Mel specified a structural insulated
panel construction in their initial brief as they
were keen to utilise the benefits of off-site
fabrication. The Kingspan TEK Building System
scored highly on thermal efficiency as the core
insulation material has a lower thermal
conductivity than other products. As a result,
wall thicknesses could be minimised which
was critical given the relatively tight plot.
38 MMC
Sep/Oct 2016 MI
Minimising air leakage was also essential as it
allowed us to incorporate design elements,
such as an L- shaped living space, which added
extra external surface area to the home. A
good airtightness result can reduce energy
consumption by 1 kwh/m2/a which can make
all the difference between a pass and fail.
Point1 Building Systems were responsible for
achieving the interface detailing I designed.
They were very confident that we would meet
the air-leakage requirement as the panels are
inherently airtight. With the added membranes
and tapes they installed, we were able to
achieve an outstanding test result of 0.45 air
change per hour @ 50 pa.”
Kingspan TEK Building System panels
comprise an OSB/3 facing either side of a
highly insulated core and can deliver U-values
of 0.20 W/m2.K or better. Point1 Building
Systems worked alongside Kingspan
Insulation’s technical services to develop a
detailed specification which was virtually
thermal bridge free.
“In addition to the high performance fabric,
the Kingspan TEK Building System also
allowed us to design the first floor rooms with
open ‘vaulted’ ceilings,” Sara Darwin added.
“The tall ceilings create a feeling of space
and light and the overall daylight qualities in
the house are excellent.”
Both Kingspan TEK Cladding Panels and
Kingspan TEK Building System panels are
now available in a 172 mm thickness,
achieving even lower U-values of 0.16 W/m2.K
or better. The manufacturing facility where
the panels are produced carries both FSC®
(FSC®-C109304) and PEFC Chain of Custody
certification.
www.kingspantek.co.uk