Self build specialist Potton has officially opened the doors to the UK’s first permanent self build Passivhaus show home at its dedicated show centre in St Neots, Cambridgeshire.
The much-anticipated show home, which has been designed to achieve the Passivhaus standard, will be the company’s sixth and most contemporary show home to date.
In a weekend of celebrations to mark its opening, the team at Potton played host to over 300 aspiring self-builders who were given an exclusive preview to the new contemporary show home.
Part of the motivation for constructing the home was to dispel the myths often associated with Passivhaus builds, for example, “you can’t open the windows, the air inside is unhealthy and the ventilation system is noisy and expensive to run”.
With innovative features which are visually exciting and technically challenging, the sustainable show home, which was designed by HTA Design LLP demonstrates what can be achieved without the need to compromise on style or design.
The new show home has nearly double the amount of insulation and is approximately ten times more airtight than a property which just complies with current Building Regulations.
Commenting on the opening, Potton’s Self Build Director, Paul Newman said: “We are extremely excited about the opening of our new show home.
“As our most ambitious show home yet, we wanted to not only encourage prospective self-builders to consider the benefits of building a Passivhaus but also to give them a real feel of what can achieved, both in terms of the limitless design options and the outstanding functionality of a low energy home of this kind.
“Potton is committed to educating people on all things self-build including the complexities and benefits of building a Passivhaus home and living a low energy lifestyle.
“The reaction of our guests over this weekend, has clearly demonstrated the desire for low energy building, without compromise, which is fantastic. We hope they have walked away feeling totally inspired and ready to take on the exciting challenge of building their own home.
“The project has seen significant collaboration between our supply chain partners and together we have created something we can all be pleased with.”
Potton’s new passivhaus show home, together with four other stunning show homes, will be open for viewing on Tuesday-Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday’s 10am-4pm: www.potton.co.uk/our-show-homes/
Potton run free self-build seminars through its Self Build Academy for people getting started. An Introduction to Self Build aims to help people understand the steps involved in building with Potton and the Making the Most of Your Plot, a more in depth workshop for those who already have a building plot and would like to progress to the design stage. There are over 10 courses available, most free of charge. To book a place please visit: www.selfbuildacademy.co.uk
