Corvalla, Port St. Mary, Isle of Man

Project Outline

Project Description: A single residential four bedroom cottage, built in a Manx vernacular style to Passivhaus standard within a conservation area; the first Passivhaus on the Island.

Client: Mr K Knievton

Consultant: SNX Ltd. Castletown, Isle of Man

Build Contractor: James Vickers and team from Complete Construction Services (CCS), Douglas, Isle of Man

Project Requirement: To develop a unique Passivhaus standard residence with the external appearance of a typical Manx vernacular cottage in an elevated, conspicuous location with breath-taking views overlooking the south coast of the Isle of Man.

Having been approached by a client with planning permission to build a house using traditional construction methods, CCS offered the Beattie Passive Build System at a comparative price, even providing a developed roof space. The client embraced the idea and the revised Building Regulations were fast tracked through by Building Control within a week, such was their delight at the specifications of the system.

The build progressed quickly and smoothly with the structure being manufactured on the Isle of Man by CCS operatives who had undertaken the course at the Beattie Passive Training Academy.

Steve Brown, Managing Director at SNX Ltd. commented, ‘The system is so robust and seems to deal with anything nature can throw at it. Each of the dedicated tests - Air Leakage, Thermography, Structural and Acoustic, were passed first time and we already have further private developments going through planning. The CCS operatives don’t want to go back to traditional build ever again and the opportunities opening up here for both the Beattie Passive new build and the retrofit TCosyTM system are very exciting’.

Contractor’s Verdict:

"What stands out to us is the performance of the finished product, it does exactly what it says on the tin. We have more Passivhaus project in the pipeline and hope that one day all new properties on the Island will be Passive."

Client Verdict:

"My experience of my new passive system home has surpassed all my expectations. I knew that my utility bills would be a fraction of what I would ordinarily pay in a traditionally built home, but even I was surprised at how low my quarterly bill over 3 of the most demanding months up to the end of December has actually been. Knowing that future bills will decrease much further still when the solar thermal takes over the domestic hot water production and with lower demand generally, I just can’t understand why all homes are not built this way."

To find out more about the time, cost and environmental benefits of the Beattie Passive Build System, contact us , telephone 0190000332 or visit www.beattiepassive.com