Achieve Energy Efficiency and Comfort with Passive House Design

May 16, 2025

At Wincer Kievenaar we specialise in innovative and sustainable design solutions. We strive to produce beautiful and functional buildings that meet your brief in an environmentally responsible way and also reduce the running costs of your building. Whether domestic or commercial, our expertise in Passive House design can help you to achieve your project’s goal.

What is Passive House?

Passive House (or Passivhaus) is a quality control standard aimed at producing comfortable and energy efficient buildings. This is achieved by focusing on five key principles:

  1. High levels of insultation
  2. Airtight construction
  3. Reduced thermal bridging
  4. High performance windows and doors
  5. Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery

Benefits of Passive House

By incorporating the five principles throughout the design and construction stages, multiple benefits can be delivered to your project:

  • Energy Efficiency and Cost Savings – Passive House constructions have substantially lower running costs due to the energy efficiency of the building fabric, delivering energy savings year after year.
  • Comfort and Health – The indoor environment of a Passive House design is free from draughts and condensation. The MVHR system provides fresh, filtered air, reducing the presence of allergens, pollutants and moisture which can contribute to a healthier living environment.
  • Environmental Responsibility – by minimising the energy consumption of your project, the demand and reliance on unsustainable fossil fuels is drastically reduced.
  • Quality and Durability – the high standards of construction required to achieve Passive House certification ensure durability and reduced maintenance needs.

How can we help?

Our experienced team and certified Passive House Designer are ready to offer advice and guide you through the process of creating your very own Passive House building. Whether it’s incorporating the principles or going for full certification, we are excited to discuss the possibilities and benefits that Passive House can bring to your project.

BACK

About the author


Ellie Betham

Architect / Certified Passive House Designer

Ellie Betham joined Wincer Kievenaar in early 2023 as an Architect. Ellie completed her Part I studies at Sheffield Hallam University, pursued Part II at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales, and attained her Part III qualification at the University of the West of England in Bristol.

In late 2023, our Architect Ellie Betham embarked on a Passive House designer course, dedicating three weeks to intensive webinars.

Related articles

DESIGNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

April 21, 2021
| 2 min read

Directors of Wincer Kievenaar, Philip Branton and Craig Western, talk with Sue Wilcock, about attempting to integrate all elements of sustainability into architectural design. Read more

Ellie Betham - Passive House designer

Passive House Designer

January 16, 2024
| 5 min read

The course culminated in a three-hour exam that included calculations on the energy balance of windows, heat loss through air infiltration and the economics of a Passive House. Read more