HARDIES Property & Construction Consultants has announced the firm has commenced work on Midlothian Council’s first ‘Passivhaus’ housing project in Dalkeith town centre.
The business is providing project management and quantity surveying services for the £2 million new-build development, which sets building standards developed by the Passivhaus Institute in Germany for energy efficient homes.
The Dalkeith project comprises six residential units on Buccleuch Street, which Hardies said allow for energy savings of up to 90% compared with typical building stock and over 75% compared to average new builds.
Stuart Newton, senior project manager, Hardies Property & Construction Consultants, said, “Using less oil and gas to heat one square meter of living space than conventional ‘low-energy’ buildings, Passivhaus make efficient use of the sun, internal heat sources and heat recovery, rendering conventional heating systems unnecessary throughout even the coldest of winters.
“During warmer months, Passivhaus houses make use of passive cooling techniques such as strategic shading to keep comfortably cool. They offer high level of comfort. Internal temperatures stay constant even in the face of extreme outdoor temperatures.”
The homes were designed by architects Smith Scott Mullan Associates and the contractor is Morris and Spottiswood.
The project is scheduled to be completed by December 2022.
