BRE and the International Passivhaus Association have launched a competition for design of two Passivhaus homes which will be built on the BRE Innovation Parks in Watford and Scotland.

The aim of the competition is to demonstrate that the Passivhaus standard can provide an affordable method of delivering very low energy private and social housing.

Applicants are invited to design either a semi-detached Passivhaus for the Watford Innovation Park that meets a minimum of Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes and/or a detached Passivhaus for the site in Scotland which achieves Level 6 of the Code.


The competition will be judged by an appointed panel of UK and International Passivhaus design experts and the winner will be announced on 31 January 2012.

Kym Mead, Passivhaus Consultant at BRE said: "The competition is a great chance for Passivhaus enthusiasts to demonstrate their design knowledge by creating affordable ultra-low energy homes that are great to live in. The winning designs will get fantastic exposure to the many thousands of visitors to the Parks - it is a fantastic opportunity."

The competition will be judged by an appointed panel of UK and International Passivhaus design experts and the winner will be announced on 31 January 2012. The homes will be constructed next year, and will be subject to monitoring and testing.

(CD)