Passive House Accelerator is launching Building Performance Interactive, an 8-part monthly virtual miniseries, on October 28 at 2 pm BST (9 am ET).
About Building Performance Interactive
The program was developed as part of a collaboration with the Accelerator and Hugh Whiriskey of Partel, who saw a need for more interactive programming to share lessons learned and best practices from the explosion of Passive House projects happening close to our original markets. “It started with a strong determination to support the transformation of the low-carbon building sector towards nZEB and Passive House through a new perspective, based on a collaborative approach,” Whiriskey said.
Format of BPI - virtual miniseries
Building Performance Interactive (BPI) - Design it. Shape it. Build it. will be virtual and free to attend, focused on inclusivity, collaboration, and the elevation of high-performance building as its guiding principles. Episodes will provide a platform for audiences in continental Europe, Ireland, and the United Kingdom to learn about Passive House design principles, nZEB (nearly zero energy building) techniques, and other high-performance building methodologies that can help ensure compliance with the increasingly rigorous standards and policy goals of governments throughout the UK, Ireland, and Europe.
Each episode will be 60 minutes comprising of live learning sessions featuring informative video and technical presentations, case studies, roundtable, and opportunities for Q&A discussion.
Co-hosts
Hugh Whiriskey, Founder and Technical Director of Partel will serve as co-host of the series, along with Mike Jacob and Ben Adam-Smith. Jacob is a Reading-based chartered construction manager and co-founder of KISS House, a custom-built home provider. Adam-Smith is a self-builder, a well-known producer of podcasts and videos on construction and Passive House design.
Though the case studies will draw from projects in the UK, Ireland, and Europe, the discussion about building performance, design solutions, sustainable building materials, and lessons learned will be universal and applicable to a global scale.
Tradespeople, contractors, engineers, architects, consultants, and self-builders from around the world will be able to tune in and learn about low-energy buildings live from industry experts.
Episode 1 - Launch on October 28
The first episode, "Train-to-nZEB - Centres of Excellence for High-Performance Buildings", will focus on the importance of developing hands-on construction training to better educate the trades about high-performance building. To illustrate this point, we will visit the Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Centres to speak with Passive House leader Tomas O’Leary. Tomas will provide a tour of the centers and talk about his experience as an educator, as well as how crucial practical training programs on retrofits, airtightness, and ventilation have been in creating a stronger workforce and construction industry in Ireland and internationally.
Guest: Tomas O’Leary, Managing Director, MosArt
>> WATCH RECORDED VIDEO OF EPISODE 1 <<
Episode 2: MMC - Offsite TF Construction from Start to Finish | November 18
The second episode will address modern methods of construction (MMC) and the significant role it plays in maximizing building performance and reducing carbon footprint, for better sustainable developments.
To illustrate this point, co-hosts along with Accelerator will visit the Ktf Keenan Timber Frame factory. John Keenan and Lawrence Taylor of Ktf will talk about the design, and the manufacturing process of most popular timber frame systems, providing a real perspective on how standardised designs can be incorporated into projects to achieve scale.
The featured project will highlight the environmental benefits, as well as how energy-efficient timber frame homes can be designed to deliver excellent thermal and airtightness standards while incorporating low-carbon building materials.
Adoption of new technologies and modern off-site construction methods can help support the sector to meet the climate change targets, in the UK, Ireland and globally.
Guest: Lawrence Taylor, Business Development Manager at Ktf Timber Frame
>> WATCH RECORDED VIDEO OF EPISODE 2 <<
EPISODE 3: Waterproof breathable fabrics in low carbon EnerPHits at scale | December 9
The third episode of the Building Performance Interactive, "Waterproof breathable fabrics in Low Carbon EnerPHits at scale", will focus on deep retrofit, carried out in a rigorous way to help achieve the EnerPHit target in humid climates such as the UK. This innovative approach to deep retrofit has been designed to be replicable, and carbon conscious, reducing the operational energy demand while minimising the embodied carbon impact.
To illustrate this point, Dara, Ben and Mike will explore the construction and on-site airtightness process with the core team involved in building renovation.
Andrew Simmonds - Partner at Simmonds Mills Architects will exemplify how the use of WUFI, PHPP modelling, and AECB PHribbon tools can facilitate the design and accurate calculations of Embodied CO2 for Passive House and retrofits, in meeting the standard. He will also discuss the importance of monitoring real-life buildings for condensation.
Tim Hulse – Passive House Champion at EcoVert will discuss the sustainable practicalities, insulation, airtightness measures, and type of building components installed to enhance the envelope performance while minimising embodied carbon.
The EnerPHit project featured in this episode demonstrates how the retrofit steps can be replicable across all building types to achieve a high efficiency and comfort level.
Guests: Andrew Simmonds – CEO at AECB and Partner in Simmonds.Mills Architects
Tim Hulse – Passivhaus Champion at EcoVert Solutions
Future episodes will focus on:
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EPISODE 4: Super Insulated Airtight PH Homes – TF Construction | January 27
Guest: Lee Broomhall, Sales Manager at MBC Timber Frame
>> REGISTER HERE FOR EP. 4 <<
“The new series is more than theory. It’s about the open sharing of knowledge and experiences in an interactive way based on video content and practicalities. It will showcase how great companies are working together to achieve passive building design and standards through best practices, sustainable solutions, and manufacturing processes,” Whiriskey said. “There's a need for shaping the construction industry to a bigger scale, and together with the Accelerator we have the ability to empower the low-carbon building industry.’’
