Sort Trae: Award Winning Passivhaus in Barnsley
We delivered a comprehensive structural design to achieve the Passivhaus Standard for a new buld home in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
A close working relationship with HEM Architects and Terry Huggett Developments resulted in a high quality end product built to the rigerous Passivhaus standard.
A Carefully Considered Structure
A steel-framed ground floor supports a lightweight timber-frame first floor, with reinforced concrete retaining walls forming the structure around three sides of the lower level.
The house is built directly into the hillside which created a significant challenge, with the ground floor effectively embedded into the slope and the surrounding earth needing to be carefully retained.
The exposed concrete walls were intended to remain visible as part of the finished interior, placing a high level of importance on the structural detailing and the quality of the finished structure.
Energy efficiency was also central to the design. The structure was carefully detailed to avoid thermal bridges, helping the home achieve the high levels of energy performance required by the Passivhaus standard.
Award Winning Structural Design
The project was awarded the IStructE Small Project Award 2024, recognising the quality of the structural design and the engineering challenges overcome to deliver the project.
The home also received recognition at the RIBA Yorkshire Awards 2024, where it was a winner, and the Yorkshire Property Industry Awards 2024, winning the Design Excellence category. It was also commended at the Natural Stone Awards 2024.
The project has been featured in Grand Designs Magazine and the Yorkshire Post.
“I’m enjoying seeing the house coming together.
It is lovely and is a testament to everyone’s hard work.”
