Passive House Design

At Scholten Group, we believe in creating homes that are not only beautiful and comfortable but also environmentally friendly and energy-efficient. That’s why we are proud to be certified Passive House Builders, offering our clients the highest quality homes with the smallest environmental impact achievable. Our Passive House design services include:

Concept Design

In the early stages of designing your Passive House, the goal is to work collaboratively with the design team and yourself, to understand your vision and requirements for your dream home. 

Using our expertise in Passive House design, our input at this early stage guides concepts that align with your vision and budget. Our input and collaboration with the design team and yourself will include factors such as feasibility of design within your budget, buildability, and sustainability. 

At this phase, our primary objective is to comprehend and transform your unique vision. If you haven’t already selected an architect, we will utilise our extensive network within the industry to identify the ideal architect or designer for your project.

We value your ideas and will attentively consider any plans you have in mind. Our team of experts will also provide valuable guidance on enhancing the sustainability, feasibility, and overall livability of your future home.

Throughout this stage, we will work closely with the design team, ensuring that the proposed design aligns harmoniously with your budget, vision, and sustainable building objectives.

Once you feel prepared to move forward, we will conduct an evaluation based on preliminary documents, outlining estimated costs and a project timeline.

Design Development

Once the concept design has been established, we progress to the design development phase. Throughout this stage, our collaboration with you and the design team intensifies as we refine the design to perfectly align with your precise needs, requirements, and budget. This phase delves into the intricacies of construction optimization, specifying details, finishes, materials, and fixtures. Our aim is to ensure that the final specifications harmonise seamlessly with your budgetary considerations.

The development stage marks the transformation of your plans into preliminary construction documents, which are then prepared for approval. Here, we pay meticulous attention to finalising your specifications, ranging from fixtures and fittings to joinery, flooring, walls, and cladding. Our objective is to ensure that these specifications remain faithful to your original budget, empowering you to make informed decisions at every step of the process.

Energy Modelling

One of the critical factors that set Passive House design apart from traditional design is the use of thermal energy modelling. Calculating the annual space heating and cooling balances, as well as the electricity and primary energy demand of the building. By doing this, we can identify any critical thermal loads in the building and make necessary adjustments to ensure maximum energy efficiency and comfort.

Construction Drawings

Once the concept, design drawings and energy modelling phases are complete, final construction drawings will be completed by the design team. These drawings provide a comprehensive guide for the builders on site, ensuring that they can construct your Passive House to the highest standards. Construction drawings include detailed information on the placement of insulation, the orientation of windows, the thickness of walls, and other critical design elements that contribute to energy efficiency and comfort. These drawings will be used for final costing of your home before entering into a home building contract.