精东影视

An AHHM-designed student accommodation scheme in Battersea has become the UK鈥檚 largest passivhaus development after passing a series of air tightness tests.

The four-block scheme, designed with passivhaus specialists Henriksen Studio for developer Urbanest and completed by Mace last September, is the eighth largest passivhaus development in the world.

With 853 student beds in buildings up to 19 storeys in height, it is also Europe鈥檚 largest student accommodation development built to passivhaus standards.

The low-energy design makes efficient use of the sun, internal heat sources and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, rendering conventional heating systems unnecessary and allowing energy savings of up to 90% compared with typical buildings.

AHMM co-founder and former RIBA president Simon Allford said the scheme 鈥渉ighlights what鈥檚 possible through collaborative ambition and a commitment to excellence鈥�.

Mace managing director for the private sector Ged Simmonds said the accreditation was a 鈥済reat achievement鈥�.

鈥淧assivhaus accreditation is typically associated with smaller, private residential projects. urbanest Battersea, the largest building in the UK to achieve Passivhaus, not only demonstrates the potential for future applications on a much larger scale but also showcases what can be done collectively to make our buildings more sustainable,鈥� Simmonds said.

Urbanest head of development Angus Kearin added: 鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted that urbanest Battersea has now achieved Passivhaus certification to become the largest Passivhaus building in the UK, setting the standard for sustainable student accommodation. 

鈥淔rom the start we wanted our Battersea development to be an exemplar for future projects not only in London but in cities all over the world that need to respond to the net zero challenge.鈥�

The developer is now working with the Passivhaus Institute to achieve accreditation at its Apt-designed scheme in Canary Wharf and 鈥渁ll further urbanest schemes going forward鈥�, Kearin said.