Natural ventilation helps prestigious Housing Association to exceed Green Leaf Standard

A new mini community is going beyond the Green Leaf Standard already attained for its commitment to preserving and enhancing the natural environment, in the construction of affordable homes on the development.

Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association - bpha - is including Passivent ‘whole house’ Passive Stack Ventilation (PSV) natural ventilation in all 27 new homes for rent it is building onsite at Fairfield Park in Bedfordshire, because of its longevity and reduced maintenance implications during the life of the dwellings.

Passivent ‘whole house’ Passive Stack Ventilation (PSV) is driven primarily by the natural stack effect, whereby warm air rises, to extract moisture laden air directly from ‘wet’ rooms and uses planned air routes to ensure a fresh, damp- and draught-free environment within the home.

Humidity sensitive extracts in the ‘wet’ kitchen, bathrooms open and close automatically in response to changes in relative humidity allowing moist air to rise up the stack, enhanced by wind blowing across the roof (the V enturi effect), thereby exhausting the damp, stale air directly to the outside. Strategically sited trickle inlets draw fresh, replacement air in, without draughts.

Because the system uses natural air movement to function, it works constantly, 24/7. There are no noisy fans, no need for occupants to turn mechanical ventilation on and off, and no reliance on the system being manually operated to ensure damp is removed.

Andy White of bpha comments, “Passivent is our preferred ventilation system for all our new build housing, not just at Fairfield Park, because it is durable and reduces maintenance responsibilities during the life of the dwellings. It has no mechanical parts to go wrong, and eliminates reliance on tenants operating the ventilation, to keep the homes damp- and condensation free.”

Bpha is building 27 affordable homes, ranging from two- to four-bedrooms, at Fairfield. Formerly a 19th century Grade II listed hospital set in mature woodland, the development will provide over 1000 homes, with the surrounding area also benefitting from the creation of a new school and community centre. The scheme has already been awarded Green Leaf Standard status for its commitment to preserving and enhancing the natural environment.

In addition to its BBA certified natural and energy efficient mechanical ventilation systems, Passivent are able to supply a comprehensive range of background trickle ventilators, the Fresh range of through wall ventilators, with or without acoustic options, all of which contribute towards efficient ventilation of the home with little or no energy consumption. Passivent is part of the Building Product Design Group, which specialises in developing innovative yet practical ventilation and roofing products in line with changing market requirements.

Passivent are highly experienced in the field of offering tailored ventilation solutions to care home providers. Key issues associated with low energy and sustainability are always at the forefront of design considerations, whilst also ensuring that system performance and indoor air quality are not compromised.

Passivent can offer the following services for those looking to specify an energy efficient and effective ventilation solution:

• Design consultation
• Technical assistance
• Free CPD seminars
• Online SAP calculations
• Predicted Energy Assessments
• Free estimate and design service

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