Elsworth Show Home

Location

Bedfordshire

Client

Potton

Architect

HTA Design

Build System

Kingspan TEK®

The Project

Kingspan Timber Solutions delivered this contemporary new show home to our client Potton. The new show home is constructed using the Kingspan TEK® Building System and is the UK's first show home built to the Passivhaus Standard. Part of the motivation for constructing the home was to dispel the myths often associated with Passivhaus builds - for example, not being able to open the windows, the air inside being unhealthy and the ventilation system being noisy and expensive to run.

The Design

The Elsworth was designed to challenge all of those Passivhaus expectations. With innovative features which are visually exciting and technically challenging, the sustainable show home, which was designed by HTA Design LLP, demonstrates what can be achieved without the need to compromise on style or design. The new show home has nearly double the amount of insulation and is approximately ten times more airtight than a property which just complies with current UK Building Regulations. This is due to its building system, Kingspan TEK®, which is a structural insulated panel system. It incorporates a unique jointing system which minimises thermal bridging and maximises airtightness, allowing the property to remain at the low level of air changes necessitated by the Passivhaus Standard. The offsite nature of structural insulated panel construction also benefitted the build itself, allowing for a fast build time, accurate build schedule, and minimal disruption to the surrounding properties.