Converts to the Passivhaus way

The completion of one couple’s project has brought joy and a sense of achievement, delivering more living space, greater energy efficiency and a comfortable environment to suit their needs.

TEXT JESS UNWIN IMAGES JANE SIMPSON

Where once stood a tired and draughty stonewall bungalow, Jane Simpson and husband Paul Niven have created an eye-catching Passivhaus home that provides perfectly for their particular needs now and is also futureproofed for their retirement.

The modern look of this self-build, located close to the Sheepridge area of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, would undoubtedly attract more admiring glances than it already does but for the fact it’s tucked away a short distance along a leafy unadopted road. 

Jane, 62, and Paul, 69, are now enjoying the benefits of their new home, which fulfils their ambitions for more living space, greater energy efficiency and an environment that’s comfortable for Paul, who is partially disabled.

Finishing this self-build project is the conclusion of a tale that began in 2003 when the couple bought the bungalow, built in 1911, and land for £63,000. Jane remembers: “We rented out our property and moved into the bungalow straight away – it wasn’t ideal, but we coped.” 

The couple’s phased masterplan was to construct office and temporary living space above the bungalow’s existing garage (phase one), which they would occupy only until the bungalow itself was transformed into their new home (phase two). 

In 2010, they spent £140,000 on the first part of that plan, which was completed using structural insulated panels (SIPs) and included a standout ‘catslide’ roof. However, phase two was to be significantly delayed. Jane says: “We were hit by the after-effects of the 2008 recession and it just didn’t happen, so we ended up living in the bungalow for another decade or so.” 

During the years that followed, the couple made important changes to their plans. They decided to demolish the bungalow rather than build on top of it so they could have more freedom with the new building’s design, and they reduced the size of the new house after their son left home.

Health considerations also influenced their thinking. Jane explains: “Paul was operated on for cancer and is now partially disabled because of nerve damage down his lefthand side and has arthritis.”

Jane, who is by coincidence an architect specialising in inclusive design, says her husband’s mobility issues were “key” to their thinking on what they wanted from their new home. “However, overall, we just asked ourselves: how do we want to live, what do we need, how do we make it work for us as individuals?

“We wanted a beautiful place to live but we also wanted space with big enough rooms for more comfortable living. We knew that we wanted an energy-efficient property and a home that is future-proofed.”

Another really big change to the couple’s plans for their new home was the decision to choose a timber-framed Passivhaus construction approach instead of working with SIPs again. Jane says: “We weren’t initially going to take the Passivhaus route, but we realised the potential that a Passivhaus self-build had for us and our needs.” 

Passivhaus is a voluntary standard for energy efficiency that reduces a building’s carbon footprint. Developed in Germany in the 1990s, essential components include specialist insulation and high-performance windows and doors to make buildings more airtight to prevent heat loss.

Another component is mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) systems that continuously extract stale air from a building, replacing it with fresh outdoor air while simultaneously recovering heat from the outgoing air to pre-heat the incoming fresh air. Building design that optimises passive solar heat gain while also avoiding solar overheating is also important in Passivhaus homes.

To achieve these targets, the couple relied on their Passivhaus contractor and the expertise of other professionals they brought in to work on their self-build. Jane says: “Expert input was important – for example, the technical detail needed around keeping everything airtight meant taking our standard planning drawing and turning it into a Passivhaus drawing, two things that are miles apart.”

Maintaining the airtight seal at a Passivhaus has a big impact. “You’ve got to consider early on, before the plaster board goes up, where you’re putting anything that’s going to puncture your walls,” says Jane. “That’s everything from wall mountings to the TV aerial and utilities like water, drainage, electricity and even cabling for the internet. This is to ensure that all these points are sealed.”

The couple chose a timber frame and a closed panel system that was prefabricated offsite. The panels can be customised to fit various architectural designs and floorplans, be assembled very quickly onsite and provide excellent insulation.

Construction of Jane and Paul’s new home finally began in 2023, with Jane taking on the role of project manager. She says: “I enjoyed project management but inevitably I sometimes found it frustrating – what you think you’re telling somebody and what they think they’re hearing are not necessarily the same thing! So, it’s important to be onsite as much as possible to monitor what’s happening.”

Fast forward around 18 months to the summer of 2024 and the couple were able to fully move into their new abode (following the completion of a bespoke kitchen). On the ground floor, the entrance lobby area gives access to a lavatory and a utility room, but a third door takes you into an impressive L-shaped open space that comprises the kitchen and dining area, plus a lounge with south-facing sliding patio doors that lead to a veranda.

Through another door in the lounge you find the staircase and a generous-sized snug, which also has south-facing windows. The stairs feature a deep half landing midway up that can accommodate seats, and the stairway also has space, top and bottom, for the installation of a stair lift, should one be needed.  

“The design of the stairs is just one of the things I wanted to build into the house to futureproof it for us,” says Jane. “The height of the step rises at 150mm, the half landing with seats to rest in, and room to install a stair lift are all details that help people if they want to live somewhere as they get older.”

Upstairs, the master bedroom has an ensuite toilet and wetroom, and a walk-in dressing room too. There’s a second bedroom, a study, a bathroom and a plant room for MVHR equipment and storage of solar panel-generated electricity.

The finished two-storey building has overall floorspace upstairs and downstairs of 150m². Jane says: “Some people look at the house and ask if it’s four bedrooms. When I tell them it’s two and a study they say, is that all? Well, there’s only two of us and all the rooms are big enough to give us the space we really wanted.”

Outside, the exterior finish of the couple’s new home is an attractive mix of render and wood cladding, but it is the zinc catslide roof that is the real stroke of genius, matching the style and gradient of the 2010-built roof that sits atop the garage/office building. It also has a practical Passivhaus function in managing sunshine as its lower side extends down to cover the south-facing veranda, providing protection against summer overheating (as well as shelter from rain).

“Using the orientation of the house is real Passivhaus principle,” says Jane. “During the summer we don’t overheat but in the winter the sun’s low enough to get right into the house so that we do gain heat through windows, which is what you want.”

Jane and Paul are particularly delighted with their veranda, which was “absolutely essential” according to Jane. She says: “It was actually incredibly costly, but we wanted to be able to sit outside even when it rains. We both enjoy being out there every day for a sense of wellbeing, whether birdwatching or enjoying our morning cup of tea.”

The couple decided against underfloor heating but do have radiators. These can be heated by an air source heat pump or by an element in the water cylinder, with electricity generated by roof-mounted solar panels or drawn from the National Grid when needed. Monthly electricity bills have been reduced to a fraction of the £500 they used to pay before moving into their new home. 

In the end, construction costs were between £450,000 and £500,000, around £150,000 more than the original budget, says Jane. “The overspend is partly the general increase in construction costs and our choice in going for quality or extras. Just a few examples include the veranda, the zinc roofing, thermally treated timber on the exterior to improve weather proofing, batteries to store the solar panel electricity and LED lighting throughout. It all adds up.”

“I also wanted a decent kitchen – my husband’s a chef, I love cooking too and we love feeding people. I think that the joy of having a decent kitchen and space to entertain friends was absolutely massive for us. The house is actually very bespoke – everything we’ve gone for has been quality because our aim was that at our age we don’t want to have to do anything again, except to possibly redecorate at some stage.”

Saving hard for the past 15 years, the sale of their former property and a small mortgage have all helped to fund Jane and Paul’s new home. “Our son thinks we’re sad because we’ve not had lots of holidays like everybody else, but we do have the house we wanted.” Jane estimates the value of their new home, together with the neighbouring building they put up in 2010, is now £750,000 or more.

The couple have completed their self-build challenge, but Jane says she and her husband are still “basking in the sense of achievement”. She says: “I don’t think there’s a day that goes by when we don’t appreciate how much we love this house.” 

Passivhaus living has delivered the comfortable environment the couple wanted – but it’s particularly beneficial for Paul. “Living in an airtight house like this we can keep the temperature indoors at about 21-22° and means a much more comfortable environment for my husband,” says Jane. “In the bungalow we’d have to have the heating at a higher level because of the draughts and the impact that would have on Paul. There are no draughts now.”

Jane says she has no hesitation in urging people to consider taking on a self-build if they get the opportunity. “Of course, we have to give credit and thanks to everyone who helped. The level of detail in the work done by our contractor, for example, and the care taken in doing it was amazing – the quality of the build is just fantastic.”

She adds: “We think the house is beautiful, but we’re biased, so when we have people, complete strangers, walk by and tell us they like the house too, it’s great to hear!”