Delivering Cost-Effective Commercial and Residential Passivhaus Projects at Scale

Round Table Building Insights Live 21 August 2026

On 8 July, Building Insights LIVE brought together housebuilders, architects, contractors, consultants, academics and Passivhaus specialists at Asia House, London, for a round table exploring how Passivhaus can be delivered cost-effectively at scale across the residential and commercial sectors.

The discussion challenged some of the persistent perceptions surrounding Passivhaus, including concerns over additional cost, design constraints and aesthetics. A key theme was that, while achieving the required standards of airtightness, thermal performance and build quality demands greater rigour throughout design and construction, large-scale Passivhaus is increasingly proving both practical and commercially achievable. Participants also considered whether Passivhaus should play a greater role in Government policy, the difference between certification and simply designing to Passivhaus principles, and how lessons from completed projects can help reduce costs and improve delivery.

Sponsored by Ubbink, Aeroseal UK and Technal, the round table brought together a broad range of perspectives from across the industry. Contributors included representatives from major housebuilders Willmott Dixon and Barratt London, alongside SME contractors Kind & Co, Milestone and Serenity Projects, as well as architects, consultants, academics, certifiers and the Passivhaus Trust.

Drawing on practical experience of delivering Passivhaus projects, the discussion explored some of the key technical challenges facing project teams, including eliminating thermal bridges, achieving consistently high levels of airtightness and successfully integrating MVHR. With the event taking place during one of the hottest weeks on record, the conversation also highlighted the wider role that better-performing buildings can play in improving resilience to a changing climate, while reducing operational energy demand and carbon emissions.

Event Chair:

  • James Parker, Managing Editor, Architects Datafile and Housebuilder & Developer Magazines

Attendees:

  • Mark Slater, Managing Director, WWA Studios
  • Michael Brett, Founder, By Milestone
  • Jean Dib, Senior Building Physics Consultant, SRE
  • Ann-Marie Fallon, Co-Director, Passivhaus Trust and Associate Director, Architype
  • Dr Joel Callow, Founder Director, Beyond Carbon
  • Attzaz Rashid, Head of Design, Barratt London
  • Mike Roe, Passivhaus Certifier and Director, WARM
  • Hannah Dixon, Passivhaus Designer, Progress In Practice Architects
  • Daniel Levey, Director, Serenity Projects
  • Lorna Taverner, Head of Architecture and Technical Design, Willmott Dixon
  • Aaron McCarthy, Director – Sustainability Lead, Hive Group
  • Evette Prout, Business Development Manager, Kind & Co Builders
  • Dr Sara Mohamed, Assistant Professor in Building Physics, University of Nottingham
  • Craig Cundey, Ventilation Product Lead, Ubbink
  • Hugh Franklin, Head of Operations, Aeroseal UK
  • Craig Simms, National Specification Manager, TECHNAL

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