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phplus.bsky.social
Passive House Plus
@phplus.bsky.social
10K followers 4.2K following 130 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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phplus.bsky.social
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.
October 30, 2025 at 11:33 AM
phplus.bsky.social
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.
October 23, 2025 at 11:02 AM
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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
October 2, 2025 at 9:39 AM
phplus.bsky.social
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.

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Picture shows the front facade of a pharmacy in Ireland, the first there to be built to the passive house standard
September 25, 2025 at 10:32 AM
phplus.bsky.social
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.

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Picture taken at dusk of a timber frame Passive House, built in West Berkshire
September 11, 2025 at 11:17 AM
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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.

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#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
September 4, 2025 at 9:14 AM
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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.

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#passivehouse
Photo shows a new farmhouse in a countryside setting, built to the nearly zero energy building standard
August 28, 2025 at 10:10 AM
phplus.bsky.social
Flat earth - Tenement #retrofit shows solution for Glasgow archetype

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#passivehouse #passivaus #enerphit
Picture is a street level view of a newly restored tenement building in Glasgow
August 21, 2025 at 9:36 AM
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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.

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Photograph shows two timber passive houses side by side, overlooking the bay at Ulva Ferry in Scotland
July 31, 2025 at 11:25 AM
phplus.bsky.social
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 magazine UK cover of Passive House Plus magazine
July 25, 2025 at 4:40 PM
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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.
June 26, 2025 at 1:27 PM
phplus.bsky.social
One of the biggest threats in the air we breathe comes from something we are exposed to almost every day, but rarely think about: #cooking.
In i33 of #passivehouse plus we reported on the evidence for how cooking affects #indoorairquality, and what we can do about it.

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Picture shows a chef holding a cooking pot, while wearing a gas mask, to highlight the health risks from indoor air quality in a kitchen
June 12, 2025 at 9:03 AM
phplus.bsky.social
Slope and Glory -

Architect Tony Godwin wandered into #passivehouse seminar #Ecobuild to start a journey that would see him design his own passive home on a sloping site — achieving a comfortable, ultra-low energy family home with tiny #energybills
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Exterior of a comfortable, ultra-low energy family home at night
June 5, 2025 at 9:29 AM
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Traditional Irish cottage looks to the future - This week we look back at a cottage in the west of Ireland that, despite some stop-start beginnings, delivered a traditional-but-stylish design with close-to-#passivehouse performance.

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Picture of a cottage in the west of Ireland, that's been beautifully retrofitted
May 15, 2025 at 9:11 AM
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19th century home drops #energydemand by 94%

This ambitious #A1 #retrofit of a Dublin redbrick exceeded the #NZEB standard - a beautifully-detailed blueprint for delivering warmth, comfort, and healthy indoor air in historic city centre properties - t.co/U7pST7dJSm
Exterior shot of a red brick terraced single storey home in Dublin
May 8, 2025 at 9:27 AM
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How to rescue a 1970s bungalow - In 2015 John Hearne visited a #passivehouse #retrofit in Co Meath and saw how a long, dark, 1970s bungalow was transformed into a bright modern home that was now warm and comfortable.
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Exterior photo of a passive house retrofit in Meath, Ireland.
April 11, 2025 at 12:13 PM
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When upgrading an old stone-walled building to the #Enerphit standard — with all the inherent challenges such an upgrade poses for energy, airtightness and moisture — who better to have as your client and defacto site manager than a professor of physics? mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Image shows a detached house in the Brecon Beacons that has been retrofitted to the Enerphit standard
April 3, 2025 at 9:21 AM
phplus.bsky.social
Stirling #passivehouse blitzes RIBA 2030 targets

What do you get when a clinician couple decide to build their dream family home? In the skilled hands of leading Scottish architects Paper Igloo, you get a forensically detailed, highly ecological, cosy home.

mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Picture shows a timber frame passive house, set on a green lawn
March 27, 2025 at 10:18 AM
phplus.bsky.social
The Thursday long read

How do you serve the needs of senior citizens who have fallen on hard times in the #BigApple? In Betances Residence, #CookFox Architects have integrated the protective benefits of #passivehouse with beautifully considered, user-tailored design.

mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Two photographs side by side, both showing an external view of a large passive apartment block in New York City
March 20, 2025 at 11:35 AM
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Connemara passive scheme brings the Atlantic in -
Designing a passive house is one thing. Designing it to tie into local supply chains & architectural vernacular – while ensuring the homes are set up for changing, potentially disengaged occupants – is the stuff of magic.
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Photograph shows a passive house scheme beside the sea in Connemara, Ireland
March 13, 2025 at 11:32 AM
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Norfolk straw-bale cottage aims for passive

We meet Anne Thorne Architects, who designed and built a straw-bale home, aiming to meet the passive house standard, with only a single infrared electric panel as the building’s sole active heat source.
mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
#passivehouse
Picture shows a cottage in the Norfolk countryside, surrounded by greenery, the cottage has white walls, and a thatched roof
March 6, 2025 at 12:59 PM
phplus.bsky.social
What is most valued in #greenhomes? Thermal comfort & energy efficiency top the #Smarter4EU survey. UK/Irl residents (94%) place it higher than other Europeans (80%).

Is it all about tangible benefits: comfortable homes & lower energy bills? Have your say: www.surveymonkey.com/r/BCK5SZ5
Green Homes Essentials Countdown infographic on thermal comfort and energy efficiency. The image shows '01' in a flip counter style, with the title 'Thermal comfort & energy efficiency.' The text explains how green homes balance comfort and low energy use through orientation, building form, insulation, airtightness, and ventilation. A cartoon house with a thermometer is featured, along with snowflake graphics on a green background. The image includes logos for 'Smarter Finance for EU' and notes it's co-funded by the European Union.
March 4, 2025 at 8:09 AM
phplus.bsky.social
Clean indoor air ranked 2 out of 14 #greenhomes features with 84.2% calling it "essential" in the #Smarter4EU survey.

This means source control and dilution to avoid and remove toxins etc.

Have your say & help unlock €100B in green home financing across Europe www.surveymonkey.com/r/BCK5SZ5
A graphic from the 'Green Homes Essentials Countdown' showing 'Good indoor air quality' ranked as #2. The image features explanatory text stating there are two steps to healthy indoor air: source control and dilution. Green homes protect against polluted indoor air by using healthy building materials and avoiding unhealthy fuels, while also diluting polluted air by replacing it with fresh, clean air. On the right side is an illustration of a cartoon baby sitting contentedly by a window with a small plant nearby. The image has an orange background with the Smarter Finance for EU logo and European Union funding acknowledgment at the bottom.
March 3, 2025 at 9:07 AM
phplus.bsky.social
Our #Smarter4EU survey says cutting greenhouse gas emissions is the 3rd most important characteristic of #GreenHomes (68.9% say essential, 26.2% important).

Want to shape the future of green homes? Take 2 mins to help unlock €100B in green housing across Europe www.surveymonkey.com/r/BCK5SZ5
An infographic titled "Green Homes Essentials Countdown" showing "03 Low greenhouse gas emissions" as the focus. The image features text explaining that over a third of energy-related emissions in Europe come from buildings, but reducing these emissions can lead to warmer, healthier homes that are easier on both finances and the environment. The right side displays an illustration of sustainable living with solar-paneled houses, wind turbines, trees, a person cycling, and a bus. The bottom includes logos for "Smarter Finance for EU" and notes it's co-funded by the European Union. The background is predominantly green with white space.
February 28, 2025 at 12:44 PM
phplus.bsky.social
While poorly conceived attempts at supporting the decarbonisation and greening of buildings still abound in the finance sector, there are signs of structural changes on the horizon - changes designed to unlock widespread change. But do those changes go far enough?
mailchi.mp/passivehouse...
Picture of a jar of coins, with green leaves sprouting out of the top.
February 27, 2025 at 11:14 AM