Passivhaus Construction Contractors
Passivhaus Construction Contractors
McGrath Civils & Rail Ltd have over 25 years experience in groundworks. We provide our groundworks expertise to a variety of clients across England & Wales, including private individuals, property developers and local authorities. If you would like to discuss a new Passivhaus construction project, contact us today.
Passivhaus Contractors in the UK
Passivhaus construction in the UK is an increasingly popular building method for low energy and eco-friendly properties. With over 65,000 Passivhaus projects completed worldwide, their popularity in Britain is on the rise, with more and more clients conscious about green living and the long term effects their properties have on resource and the environment.
McGrath Civils provide a number of key construction services to clients who are building their dream Passivhaus, many of which require a large amount of groundworks and concrete, from companies that specialise in excavation and construction.
We have worked on large Passivhaus construction projects over the last 12 months, so have a high level of expertise in this ever popular building methodology.
To discuss how our Passivhaus construction contractors may be able to assist with your project, contact us by calling Sean McGrath personally on 07717 014006 or email us your contact details, an overview of your project and scope of work, along with any plans you may have t to at info@mcgrathcivilsltd.co.uk.
What is Passivhaus?
A Passivhaus building offers clients the opportunity to construct a luxury building while using very little energy for heating and cooling. Passivhaus buildings are built with great attention to detail and with rigorous design and construction methods, in line with the principles developed by the Passivhaus Institute in Germany, and can be certified through an exacting quality assurance process.
How to achieve Passivhaus standards in the UK?
So that your property can claim to have Passivhaus standards of quality, a number of factors are considered by registered Passivhaus inspection officers.
These quality assurances include:
- Accurate design using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP)
- Incredibly high levels of insulation
- Very high performance windows and use of insulated frames
- The use of airtight building fabrics
- “Thermal bridge free” construction
- The use of a mechanical ventilation system, with highly efficient heat recovery
So why build using these methods?
We are speaking to more and more clients and architects who are conscious about the environment and who want to build using highly efficient Passivhaus standards and subsequently save on heating requirements.
Passivhaus buildings are able to achieve an approximate 75% reduction in heating requirements, compared to standard UK new builds and building methods. The Passivhaus standard therefore provides the construction industry with a robust method to help achieve the 80% carbon reductions that have been set out by the Government.
Backed by data, Passivhaus buildings are consistently performing to their claims, which is crucial, given that the discrepancy between buildings in the design phase and actual performance post construction, is estimated to be as much as 50 to 100%. If you are thinking about building using Passivhaus standards, contact us today for a no obligation initial consultation.
Why is concrete used in Passivhaus construction?
It is a common misconception that all Passivhaus construction projects must use timber frames. According to many experts, as Passivhaus is a performance standard, any type of construction method can be used to meet the Passivhaus Standard and this includes the use of concrete.
Insulated concrete forms (ICF) are a popular Passivhaus construction system and provides many benefits to the client, which include:
- The insulated forms automatically create a continuous thermal "envelope"
- The concrete core forms a continuous airtight layer
- The system provides integrated structure and building envelope
- Concrete is easy to build with
- It’s usually more cost effective than other materials.
Even when ICF isn’t used for the complete building envelope, it is sometimes used for parts of the building below ground, or even just for the footings below a ground slab.
The team at McGrath Civils have experience in using these concrete methods on Passivhaus building projects. Speak to us today for more information.
Are you thinking of building a property to Passivhaus standards?
If you are thinking of using Passivhaus Standards on your build, it’s vital you instruct building contractors who are familiar with this type of building methodology.
Over the past 12 months, the team at McGrath Civils have worked on large Passivhaus construction projects in Bedford and in Oxford. Our head office is based in London but we are able to work on Passivhaus projects anywhere across the UK.
Contact us today by calling and speaking top Sean McGrath on 07717 014006 or email us
details of your project and a member of the team will contact you at your convenience.
We will be pleased to discuss your new Passivhaus project, look at your plans and provide you with a no obligation quote. We are also pleased to work on a collaborative basis with architects and main contractors.
See our latest blog post about a Passivhaus project we are currently working on near Bedford.
Some recent Groundworks projects
If you are in the early stages of planning a new project, are currently speaking with architects and project managers and require the services of a groundworks company, for a Passivhaus project or any other type of building project then we would be pleased to speak with you on a no obligation basis.
We offer free quotes on every job and are always happy to work on a collaborative basis with architects, surveyors and project managers.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
McGrath Civils are a company you can trust
The team at McGrath Civils take great pride in the standard of our work, which is why we are instructed by property developers, architects and local authorities time and time again. We genuinely care about delivering a quality service at a competitive price.
If you would like to discuss a new Passivhaus project with us, or any other building project that requires a team of experts groundworkers, contact us now. Your project may include a new basement excavation and construction project, building a retaining wall or digging new footings or foundations. If so then please contact us, we will be more than happy to provide a quote for the associated works.
Whether you are a private individual, a local authority or a project manager or QS working on behalf of a contractor and would like us to offer a no obligation quote on your current or future project, then please get in contact with us today by calling and speaking to Sean McGrath on 07717 014006 or by emailing us at info@mcgrathcivilsltd.co.uk
Case Studies of our recent projects
We have worked on many residential, commercial and coastal defence projects for a wide range of clients. To discuss McGrath Civils Ltd assisting you on your project, please contact us today by phone, email
or send us an enquiry using our online form.
