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Passive House Plus

@phplus.bsky.social
10K followers 4.2K following 229 posts

Award-winning green building magazine For: comfortable, healthy, low carbon buildings with tiny energy use. 🇮🇪+ 🇬🇧 print editions + projects from whole 🌎. Passive house / Passivhaus Tomato / tom8to www.passivehouseplus.co.uk

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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Nothing drives innovation like adversity. Facing up to the prospect of scarce energy and other resources, we can take inspiration equally from the Inuit and the most avant-garde of #passivehouse designers. lnkd.in/ddDW3amT
Inuit man inside an igloo
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
If attempting to tackle a #housingcrisis is hard, how about doing so while taking on the #climatecrisis, #energycrisis, #costofliving crisis and #pandemic, with a dash of #Brexit? One pioneering Scottish project shows that with a little resolve, adversity can lead to triumph. tinyurl.com/4ak5522r
Image shows  the facade of a new passive house apartment block in Glasgow, in front of a play area.
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
In 2012 we took a look at the first healthcare building and extension in Ireland to become certified passive. What's more the project overcame one of the toughest challenges of all: solving air leakage and thermal bridging in a dormer window-riddled design. mailchi.mp/passivehouse... #passivehouse
Image shows a row of nursing home units against a blue sky
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
How can period properties be made fit for the demands of the 21st century? Recently shortlisted at the Architect's Journal Architecture Awards 2026, one University of Cambridge #retrofit project may have the answer. lnkd.in/dkD47XQs
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The deep and comprehensive refurbishment of the Miesian Plaza complex on Dublin’s Baggot Street transformed mid-20th century city office buildings into comfortable, healthy and super #lowenergy spaces that support #sustainable transport and working patterns. lnkd.in/dk7n6CPX
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
A1 rated passive house tackles embodied carbon on challenging site #passivehouse is about optimisation, balancing free winter heat with avoiding summer overheating. On this project, every last ray of light has been stolen to deliver a passive, net zero energy home. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Picture shows the interior living space kitchen of a passive house, with large floor to ceiling windows to the left side, highlighting a sea view
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
In October 2019, Norwich City Council’s Goldsmith Street development became the 1st #passivehouse and #socialhousing project to win British architecture’s most coveted award, deemed “high-quality architecture in its purest, most environmentally and socially conscious form”. tinyurl.com/yh4r5v2h
Picture shows two children walking in front of a terraced row of homes with brick facades
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
From compliance to performance: reflections from Essen Niall Crosson, group technical director at Ecological Building Systems, summarises the 28th International Passive House Conference which marked the 35th anniversary of the first #passivehouse. Read more at: lnkd.in/d9AHCV6n
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Infill proves a 'bubble of pleasantness' for Cork family An Edinburgh-steeped couple wanted Georgian grandeur in a Cork city infill, wrapping double-height spaces and oversized glazing in a climate-responsive envelope that shrugs off Irish winters. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Picture shows exterior of a passive house at nighttime, with large windows looking into the living area
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
“I would outlaw siloed thinking” Comfort zone - our new feature where we try to get into the heads of prominent green figures. We asked the president of the European Straw Building Association, Cypren Edmunds to peer into the void, his record collection, and the future. tinyurl.com/48y3t2ev
Picture shows Cypren Edmunds, who is head of the European straw building association.
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Modernist masterpiece gets near #passive update Gordon Bunshaft's Banque Lambert has presided over Boulevard Marnix since 1964, a listed modernist landmark facing the King's Palace, its celebrated precast concrete exoskeleton as distinctive today as the day it was built. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Black and white photo looking into office windows at people working.
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Larch-clad #passivehouse inspired by a venn diagram With an intricate design based on the concept of two pitched-roof sections that overlap, this eye-catching timber-framed Sussex home proves you can meet the passive house standard with just about any shape. tinyurl.com/49c67tep
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
New coastal ICF home goes #passive at low costs Our weekly rummage through the archive brings us to issue 13 of Passive House Plus when John Hearne wrote about a house on the Waterford coast, built from an #insulatedconcreteformwork shell, easily exceeding #passivehouse targets. lnkd.in/dRwH-2Em
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
The PH+ guide to overheating As awareness of the urgency of the #climatecrisis grows, efforts to kickstart #energyefficiency interventions are gathering apace. But poorly conceived #lowenergybuilding efforts can lead to unintended consequences including #overheating. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Bio-based #selfbuild fuses #passive principles and clever shading proves #heatwave proof Duncan and Anaya decided to give self-building a go and somehow created the most comfortable house they’ve ever lived in – even in the face of extreme heat events. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Housing minister calls for faster #retrofit to shield homes from energy shocks Ireland must treat building #decarbonisation as critical national infrastructure to protect households from future energy price shocks, according to a new policy scorecard launched today. tinyurl.com/34n8p32j
Picture shows Minister for Housing James Browne TD, Marion Jammet, Head of Policy and Advocacy at the Irish Green Building Council, and Kieran Holohan, Managing Director of Saint-Gobain Ireland.
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Accessible Manchester #retrofit delivers comfort and low bills - The Thursday long read An award-winning retrofit demonstrates that universal design and #ultra #lowenergy performance are powerful allies, not competing priorities. mailchi.mp/passivehouse... #passivehouse #passivhaus #retrofit
Picture shows two men in the kitchen of a new renovated house, one man is sitting, the other is at the sink
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Meet Passive House Plus at Futurebuild: 12-14 May, London Passive House Plus magazine will be at Futurebuild & if you’d like to visit and meet editor @jeffcolley.bsky.social, we’ll be at stand c66 in #Futurebuild, surrounded by magazines – while stocks last! Read more at mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Graphic for an invitation to visit Passive House Plus at upcoming Futurebuild event.
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Ballymore passive house scheme brings low-cost comfort to private market With 35,000 homes under their belt, one of the UK and Ireland's most prolific developers has just completed its first #passivehouse scheme - aided by an innovative airtightness approach. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Bristol #passivehouse turns energy bills into net profits Thanks to its huge #solar roof & Tesla battery pack — this ground breaking home meets the passive house ‘plus’ standard, while also blitzing RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge’s targets. mailchi.mp/passivehouse... #passivhaus #greenbuilding
Picture shows a white facade house, and courtyard, with a large solar panel array on it's roof
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
One family's response to a bushfire - The long read Big Picture - Forrest Passive House in Spotswood achieves certification while maintaining contemporary family functionality through thoughtful material choices and spatial planning. mailchi.mp/passivehouse... #passivehouse
Picture shows the interior of a living room, with large windows and a dog sprawled on the floor
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Hampshire house hits 70% energy saving via #Enerphit A deep retrofit of a 1930s house on the Hampshire coast is a pitch-perfect example of how to transform old dwellings without needing an extension, creating a cosy home that uses two-thirds less #energy than before. tinyurl.com/4byrcmkb
Exterior shot of a detached, newly restored house in the countryside
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Mass appeal - The Thursday long read An architect’s four-year quest to build his family home on a Dublin laneway demonstrates how mass timber can maximise space and character in the tightest urban sites – with award-winning results, and fascinating performance insights. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Image shows the living room of a terraced house in Dublin, with a view of the stairs and into the kitchen. Grey/blue walls with many timber features
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
New issue of Passive House Plus out now! We hope you've had a lovely break & that we can cushion the blow of a return to work with a new issue of Passive House Plus. Subscribers can head to our website & read it right now. mailchi.mp/passivehouse... #passivehouse #passivhaus #retrofit
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Stunning Somerset #passivehouse embraces wood and light In issue 14 of Passive House Plus, we wrote about an inspiring rural passive house, designed by Graham Bizley and his wife Emily - a striking piece of contemporary architecture that enhances its scenic location. lnkd.in/d3AQGwvN
Picture shows the largely wooden interior of a kitchen in a passive house, with a large window on the right, and a living room to the left
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Way back in issue 12 of Passive House Plus, Lenny Antonelli wrote about an ambitious and complicated project — a partial #upgrade, partial #rebuild of an old detached property in Rathgar, south Dublin — that went on to achieve the onerous #Enerphit standard for #retrofit. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Picture shows the new extension of an retrofitted house in Dublin
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Sometimes it takes the constraints of a challenging site to bring out the best possible design, and that was certainly the case for this Limerick City #passivehouse, where the project team managed to deliver a unique, curving home in response to a tricky urban plot. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
The front facade of a unique passive house in Limerick, hightlighting the curved design of the house
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
With an increasing emphasis on the electrification of heat as the #electricitygrid decarbonises, interest in reducing the #embodiedcarbon of buildings is growing. Does a focus on embodied carbon alone risk giving energy intensive ways of making buildings a free pass? mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Image is a screen shot of a diagram showing images such as factory and wind turbines
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Sligo deep #retrofit delivers warmth, light & mountain views A fabric first #renovation turned a cold and uninspiring 1970s bungalow into a cosy #A-rated modern home, with some clever design touches helping to open the house up to dramatic views and coastal light. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Picture shows the living and dining area of a new renovated bungalow, with breathtaking views out to sea
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Peaky blinder - Energy specialist Es Tressider transforms '70s Highland home into one of the best #retrofits we've ever published, using a high skillset & #retrofit innovation to create a comfy, healthy family haven with breathtaking views of Ben Nevis. mailchi.mp/passivehouse... #passivehouse
Picture shows Es Tressider sitting on a window seat, reading a magazine. Through the window we can see the mountain regions of Ben Nevis in Scotland
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Quantity surveyor Ross Cremin set out from scratch with the goal of a #selfbuild #passivehouse on a site in rural County Longford. Here he tells the story of his project and offers advice for others thinking of building their own passive house. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
A grey rendered passive house, set in a rural backdrop
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
An intriguing #passivehouse in Dundee takes the traditional ‘box’ form associated with the standard and up-ends it, making it feel more like a traditional city terrace than a single dwelling – built with a heavy emphasis on #carbon sequestering materials. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
A passive house in Dundee, Scotland, with a series of pitched roofs and different claddings, surrounded by autumnal trees.
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
From Nero to zero The historic Roman city of York embarked on an ambitious programme to redefine #councilhousing, building 450 mixed-tenure #passivehouses across the city, and unashamedly prioritising walking and cycling, and shared outdoor #greenspaces, over cars. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
An artists rendering of a redeveloped street, shows groups of people socialising amongst raised flower beds and trees in front of rows of houses
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
#Enerphit upgrade rejuvenates Rathgar redbrick In issue 17 we visited a Dublin semi-d, brilliantly and carefully brought into the 21st century in terms of #energyperformance & living space, yet protecting it's century-old façade with #breathablematerials. mailchi.mp/passivehouse... #passivehouse
Picture shows a semi detached red brick house in Dublin, that has been retrofitted to the Enerphit standard
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
History repeating - The Thursday long read We start 2026 with an impressive project that achieved something many thought impossible - an #A1 #energyrating for a 16th century Carmel-ite friar’s cottage in Kinsale. It required passion, patience and architectural expertise. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Dr Marc O'Riain stands in the front door of his impressively retrofitted 16th century home.
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
Ireland's largest #passivehouse development, Shanganagh Castle, is proof that with proper planning and collaboration, delivering high density #housing doesn’t mean compromising on quality or #climateaction – without increasing costs or causing delays. - mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Picture shows the forefront of the almost finished Shanganagh apartment complex in Dublin.
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Energy poverty and electric heating - The Thursday long read As electricity decarbonises, the case for switching from #fossilfuel boilers to efficient electricity to heat via #heatpumps is overwhelming. But could a drive to electrify heating exacerbate energy poverty? mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Graphic map of Europe depicting regions of energy poverty
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
The Thursday long read - Casa Cuatro Perched on a dramatic hillside overlooking Lake Nahuel Huapi in Argentina’s breathtaking Patagonia, Casa Cuatro stands as a testament to the enduring belief of two Glasgow-based passive house designers. mailchi.mp/passivehouse... #passivehouse #passivhaus
Picture of the roof of a passive house, overlooking Lake Nahuel Huapi
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
New issue out now! - Always worth waiting for, issue 51 of Passive House Plus is at the printers, but subscribers can read the digital version online now! mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Images show to two magazine covers, one is in the interior of a living room, the other shows two people in a kitchen
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
The Thursday long read - A deep dip into the #PassiveHousePlus archive this week, to 2017 when Lenny Antonelli wrote for us about a large #familyhome in South Dublin that proved big homes don't need to be cold and draughty. mailchi.mp/passivehouse... #passivehouse #passivhaus
Picture of a detached passive house in Dublin, Ireland.
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
The PH+ guide to greener concrete - reducing the #climateimpact of cement and concrete in buildings - mailchi.mp/passivehouse... #carbonemissions #passivehouse #passivhaus
Picture shows concrete blocks manufactured using ‘carbon negative’ aggregate from O.C.O Technology Ltd.
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
Worcester school hall is UK's first 'multi-comfort' building - The Thursday long read mailchi.mp/passivehouse... #passivehouse #passivhaus
Picture shows blurry images of children playing in a new school hall
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
To 2015 and issue 10 of Passive House Plus for your long read, when work had just finished on architect Paul McNally's super low energy project: a three-storey building in Tipperary that had just become Ireland's first certified #passivehouse pharmacy. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Picture shows the front facade of a pharmacy in Ireland, the first there to be built to the passive house standard
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
Simple-yet-stylish West Berkshire #passivehouse that bore a business This week, a #timberframe home that met the passive house standard, launched a brand new design-and-build venture & embraced an elegant design while drawing inspiration from the local vernacular. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Picture taken at dusk of a timber frame Passive House, built in West Berkshire
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
A longtime contributor to Passive House Plus, Peter Rickaby looks back on an extraordinary career, the challenge of convincing people of the need for a new approach to buildings, and the people who helped him to do just that. mailchi.mp/passivehouse... #passivehouse
Picture shows Dr Peter Rickaby who has over thirty-five years of experience as an energy and sustainability consultant working for the building and housing industries
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
A tight budget meant some ambitious eco features planned for this simple and graceful new farmhouse were dropped, yet it still managed to meet Irish nZEB standards thanks to a combination of superb detailing and fabric-first design. mailchi.mp/passivehouse... #passivehouse
Photo shows a new farmhouse in a countryside setting, built to the nearly zero energy building standard
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Flat earth - Tenement #retrofit shows solution for Glasgow archetype mailchi.mp/passivehouse... #passivehouse #passivaus #enerphit
Picture is a street level view of a newly restored tenement building in Glasgow
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
Scottish isle eco cottages need no central heating - Two spectacular #lowenergy #socialhousing units look out over Ulva Ferry’s breath-taking views & prove to be a superb response to local problems of #fuelpoverty and lack of #affordablefamilyhousing. mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Photograph shows two timber passive houses side by side, overlooking the bay at Ulva Ferry in Scotland
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
Treat for Friday night PHP subscribers, the new issue has just been published online! Enjoy the commute ;) passivehouseplus.ie
Irish cover of Passive House Plus magazineUK cover of Passive House Plus magazine
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Passive House Plus @phplus.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
Mike Eliason, founder of Larch Lab & author of Building for People, reflects how events from the pandemic & #climate disasters to #urbanhousing challenges – shaped his mission to bring #sustainable, community-focused, and #climateadaptive living to the US mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Picture shows a people-first street in Vienna’s Seestadt. Plenty of bikes and no cars.
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