An expansive Passive House on one of the best streets in Brighton proves the point that quality is an equal measure of aesthetic and performance

Our wonderful clients on this project provided us with the ideal brief. They wanted a forever family home that would not only be an ideal place to raise their young kids but also utilise the best possible design and construction processes to place it as one of the most as energy-efficient homes in Brighton. Being progressive thinkers they foresee a future where a personal car is unnecessary due to the emergence of automated vehicles and car share technologies.

They imagined a home where the proposed garage space could easily be repurposed into a habitable room and the basement which would otherwise be taken up by car centric infrastructure could be instead dedicated to a fun entertainment space for the family and their friends.

Both parents work from home the majority of the time, so specific spaces needed to be integrated, spaces that could easily be isolated from the hum of daily life with children. It was also important to consider the mental health aspects of being in the same home for both work and rest. The physical delineation of these activities along with outlook and connection to nature needed to be considered in the design to manage these concerns.

The home has been designed to Passive House standards. The form of the building posed a challenge in achieving this standard as the simple rectangular form is naturally more efficient due to the ratio of external wall to floor area. We solved this by utilising Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) in the construction of the floors, walls and roof and orientating the building carefully. This construction system allows for not only extremely high thermal and airtight performance with also accuracy, quality and results in a shorter construction program due to the off site manufacturing.

The ventilation systems proposed for this house will also result in a very healthy interior atmosphere which will be critical to not only a high productive work environment but also a quiet restful place to recharge.

Status: Commencing Construction early 2023