A newbuild flexible multi-use community centre in Fife has just achieved Passivhaus Classic certification.
Templehall Community Hub incorporates a main hall, library, teaching kitchen, community cafe, community garden, meeting rooms, youth club and computer suite. The steel frame project has been delivered for Fife Council by a project team led by AHR as architects and Passivhaus designers, with BAM UK acting as main contractors. The project team has previously worked on the Passivhaus certified Woodmill and St Columba’s RC High School project in Dunfermline and recently completed Caledonia High School project targeting Passivhaus, both also for Fife Council. Many of the processes used on the project were those developed at the previous Passivhaus projects.
Greengauge acted as Passivhaus Certifier on the project.
Project team
Client: Fife Council
Architect: AHR
Passivhaus Consultant: AHR
Main Contractor: BAM UK
Passivhaus Certifier: Greengauge
Photos: © Fife Council
“Templehall is a brilliant asset for the local community. Fife Council has been forward thinking in futureproofing the building. It will be a real benefit to the community that it’s been built to the Passivhaus standard. It’s comfortable, offers great community facilities and will have incredibly low running costs. As a community centre, Templehall will also allow a wide number of people to experience Passivhaus comfort and efficiency first hand. ”
Paul Smith, Passivhaus Certifier, Greengauge
Certifier notes
Site visits
As the Passivhaus Certifier, employed directly by Fife Council, Paul Smith made several visits to the site during construction to meet with team of stakeholders to offer reassurance and advice. The purpose of the site visits was to check workmanship along the way, particularly in relation to the insulation and airtightness strategies.
Evidencing
As we mentioned in a recent blog, methods for collating information developed on previous Passivhaus projects are continuously being utilised, streamlined, and improved, developing a robustness and familiarity in the process of evidence gathering.
Occupancy patterns & profiles
As a multi-use building, the main challenge for certification was just getting information on internal heat gains and use of rooms. It was important to evidence this to align it with the PHPP modelling.
