5 ways Passive House works for commercial
There is a misconception that passive house is only for standalone homes. As Deborah discussed on our blog last year, this is a result of the compromises of translation from German to English: Passivhaus — Passive House. But can it really benefit developers to incorporate this same principle into their projects?
When it comes to commercial buildings the developers and the end users can often be on opposite sides of the equation, but high performing commercial builds are better for everyone. Here's 5 ways that Passive House works both for developers and occupants.
1 - Ease to achieve certified passive house
Larger buildings achieve the Passive House standard more easily than single detached houses because of the larger volume to exterior area ratio. Coupled with all the normal systems like ventilation and air conditioning systems the additional cost to upgrade a standard new commercial building to Passive standard is proportionally smaller than a house. For more on the construction cost and a technical explanation check out this quick article by Sustainable Engineering.
2 - Occupant wellbeing
Passive standard building users are able to work in a space that provides correct amounts of ventilation (fresh air) and comfortable temperatures. Due to the high quality windows and exterior thermal walls, they also have reduced noise from outside compared to the typical building. This all means that the workplace can be a space for wellbeing and productivity, supported by the kind of environment that we need to thrive.
3 - Lower energy bills
Typically, air conditioning is running all day five or more days a week to keep the temperature constant. It brings about a high energy cost as the building is inefficient and leaks away heat through gaps, poor performing windows and sub-standard insulation. By contrast, an airtight building and balanced mechanical ventilation system that meets the Passive standard of power usage for heating will result in a more comfortable space with lower energy bills.
4 - Higher Rents
By providing a building that is a higher quality for the occupants’ wellbeing and lowers their energy bills, the landlord can charge higher rents for a premium product. Users will be willing to pay this, as they save on heating and cooling and will enjoy the increased comfortability. Undoubtably, as times change more and more tenants will want these higher quality spaces or will be required to (by government department mandate, say).
5 - Higher building value
Similar to the rents, a better quality building means a higher building value. A no-brainer when it's not that much more expensive to achieve Passive when well designed. Moreover, MBIE have signalled operational carbon efficiencies becoming mandatory in the not too distant future. The insulation standard increased markedly for commercial buildings last year (for example double glazing is standard now!) and more changes down the line are inevitable. It’s a smart investment to future proof new buildings so they hold a higher value right now and in the years to come.
We love commercial buildings at Reform Architecture and Jonathan has a lot of experience with them, navigating the technical multi-disciplinary and legal requirements. And remember, Passive House commercial builds don't have to be bland, check out some amazing examples here.
