Passive House
AN ECONOMIC CATALYST AND MODEL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.
Fresh Network Member, JPDA, was engaged as Passive House Designers to oversee the renovation of an obsolete factory building in an industrial park in Katunayake, Sri Lanka.
Working in collaboration with a talented team of local architects and engineers, an integrated design process and detailed energy modelling by Steven Winter Associates, led to the development of a Passive House performance spec for the new facility. Engineered to meet EnerPHit standards for efficiency, the project resulted in a greater than 75% reduction in primary energy use while providing occupants with a temperate, comfortable working environment.
The Star Innovation Center is a product development facility located outside of Colombo in Katunayake. Intended to be a global model for the entire garment industry, the project sets a new high bar for sustainability, energy efficiency and worker comfort.
This is the first Passive House project in South Asia, and one of only two certified Passive House factory buildings in the world.
Careful design and engineering of the building systems and enclosure ensure that workers enjoy year-round comfort in a workspace that provides abundant natural light, low humidity, filtered fresh air, and maintains temperatures near a constant 24°C (77°F).
Thorough testing of the airtightness and remote monitoring of the ongoing energy usage provide quantitative confirmation of the building performance, confirming projected operational cost savings for the client and vastly upgraded workplace environmental standards for the employees.
By promoting the project and inspiring the local building industry there is a clear path to both reducing carbon emissions and putting an end to worker “sweatshop” conditions.
Find out more
Contact us to find out more about our work with Passive House.
