A pioneering low energy retrofit of a derelict farm building at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Stirley Community Farm in Huddersfield has just commenced work on site.
The design & build project, led by Passivhaus firm Green Building Store, will transform the barn into an all-purpose, flexible educational centre and space. A super-insulated timber frame structure will be built into the existing stone building, preserving the outward appearance of the barn, whilst offering EnerPHit levels of performance. As well as working to high insulation and airtightness requirements, the project is developing some innovative solutions to supporting and working with the original stone barn structure, offering lessons for similar low energy retrofits in the UK.
In addition to the usual Passivhaus considerations of super insulation and airtightness, minimisation of thermal bridging and use of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, the project will be tackling issues such as structural stability of the original barn structure, and prevention of water penetration from the stone walls and rising damp. In order to support and shore up the stone walls, the inner frame will brace the original barn fabric through a purpose-designed tie system, developed by the Green Building Store team and structural engineers. To minimize thermal bridging with this system, the tie connection to the inner timber structure has been carefully detailed to ensure it is fully insulated.