Why Passive House isn’t just another standard, it’s a new way to build
So, what is Passive House?
At Elements by Oakwrights, we believe timber frame buildings should perform as beautifully as they look. That’s why more architects and self-builders are turning to the Passive House standard, not as a tick-box, but as a way to design and build homes that deliver exceptional comfort, durability, and energy performance for decades.
Passive House (or Passivhaus) is a globally recognised performance-based building standard focused on ultra-low energy use, comfort, health and resilience. It doesn’t prescribe a specific style, you can design anything from a modern timber home to a traditional vernacular, but it does set clear, measurable criteria for how a building should perform. At its core, a Passive House uses a combination of airtight construction, super-insulation, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and high-performance glazing to achieve dramatic reductions in heating and cooling demand.
What makes Passive House genuinely different is that it works as planned. Unlike many energy-efficiency claims, rigorous modelling tools like the Passivhaus Planning Package ensure that predicted energy performance matches reality, minimising the so-called “performance gap”.
The Passive House difference: less energy, more comfort
Taken from Pinwheel Passivehouse
Passive House explained
The benefits of Passive House are both quantifiable and tangible
- Dramatically reduced operational energy: Passive Houses typically use up to 75–90% less energy for heating and cooling than conventional buildings. That means far smaller heating systems are required and lower bills, even in a UK climate where temperature swings are common.
- Year-round comfort: Unbroken insulation, airtightness and careful detailing mean there are no draughts, cold spots or overheating. The indoor environment stays comfortable and stable throughout the seasons.
- Healthy, fresh air: Balanced mechanical ventilation with heat recovery delivers filtered fresh air continuously, eliminating mould risk and improving indoor air quality.
- Resilience and durability: By controlling moisture and eliminating thermal bridging, Passive House assemblies resist condensation and damp, protecting structure and finishes over the long term.
- Quiet and low-maintenance living: High performance windows and airtight envelopes also reduce external noise, while simpler, smaller mechanical systems mean fewer things to service or replace.
Why This Matters for you as an Architect or self-builder
For Architects, Passive House is an opportunity to lead, to design buildings that are beautiful and responsible, where every detail contributes to measured performance. For self-builders, it’s about investing in a home that costs less to run, feels better to live in, and stands the test of time.
Our timber wall systems are designed with this performance-first mindset. Timber’s natural insulating properties, when coupled with careful detailing and airtight joining, make it an ideal partner for Passive House-level performance. Whether you’re advising a client or realising your own self-build, Passive House principles ensure your design isn’t just sustainable on paper, it performs sustainably in everyday life.
