Now Streaming: The 8 Episodes of Building Performance Interactive, Co-Produced With Partel

The 2021/22 eight-episode Building Performance Interactive series is a wrap!

The UK/Ireland-based show created a platform for audiences 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 codes and policy goals of governments throughout the UK, Ireland, and Europe.

The program was developed as part of a collaboration with Passive House Accelerator and Hugh Whiriskey and Iulia Potor of Ireland-based Partel, who both saw a need for more interactive programming to share lessons learned and best practices from the explosion of Passive House projects happening close to home.

In the lead-up to the inaugural episode of Building Performance Interactive last fall, Hugh said: “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. 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.’’

Hugh and Iulia poured time and talent into upping the ante for what a Zoom show about high performance building can be. For each episode, they worked with a new project team to produce onsite video packages that we incorporated into each month's show. Hugh was joined by Ben Adam-Smith of Housing Planning Help and Mike Jacob of Kiss House to serve as co-hosts, sharing insights, interviewing presenters, and engaging with the audience and their questions and comments. It was a great success, and we're grateful to have collaborated with the team and with Partel to produce the series!

Stream the Building Performance Interactive Videos:

Episode 1 – Train-to-nZEB

We visited the Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Centres with Passive House luminary Tomás O'Leary, who provided a tour of the centres and talked 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 abroad.

Episode 2 – MMC: Offsite Timber Frame Construction from Start to Finish

We explored the significant role modern methods of construction (MMC) can play in maximizing building performance and reducing carbon footprint with a visit to an offsite timber frame factory in Ireland with Lawrence Taylor of Ktf Timber Frame.

Episode 3 – Waterproof Breathable Fabrics in Low Carbon EnerPHits at Scale

We went on a deep retrofit journey, centered on an EnerPHit project and the retrofit steps that can be replicable across all sorts of building types to achieve high efficiency and superior comfort. Andrew Simmonds, partner at Simmonds Mills Architects and Tim Hulse, Passive House Champion at EcoVert guided us through that journey.

Episode 4 – Super-Insulated Airtight Passive House Homes

We focused on how super-insulated airtight timber frame construction (in this case, similar to what North Americans call "stick frame construction") can accelerate the strategic design and development of Passive House projects. Adrian Williamson and Lee Broomhall met us at the construction site of a new build Passive House in the UK.

Episode 5 – PHribbon and Embodied Carbon with Tim Martel

Tim Martel, chartered architectural technologist & PHribbon developer, demonstrated the power of the PHribbon tool in enabling designers to achieve accurate calculations of the full lifetime embodied CO2 for Passive Houses and low energy buildings including retrofits.

Episode 6 – Achieving Thermal Performance in Modular CLT Developments

We focused on the sustainable design and construction of wood modular co-housing developments, with a visit to the Agorahaverne project in Denmark, built to play its part in the circular economy. Brian Søndergaard Hansen and Morten Kudahl showed us around the housing project, which aims for the smallest possible CO2 footprint and the largest possible reusability.

Episode 7 – Offsite LGS Structures

We explored the life cycle of a unique multi-unit regenerative project in Ireland, Drumhierny Woodland Hideaway, where the focal point is protecting the natural woodlands through carbon-neutral construction. To dive into the sustainability benefits of light gauge steel framing and the precision of the offsite manufacturing process, we visited the Framespace factory and site with Paddy Mahon, Head of Design and Engineering.

Episode 8 – Kiss House: Challenging Design, Performance and Delivery

Kiss House started with a vision of how Passive House housing could be delivered at scale if the optimal marriage of design, performance and delivery was achieved. As Kiss House prepares to deliver its first projects, the team join us to discuss the myriad challenges they’ve faced, the problems they’re solving, and the innovation along the way.