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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.
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.
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.
