Paper Igloo Ltd design's beautiful, sustainable and comfortable homes, they have created design plans for builds in Stirling, Kippin, Invergarry and Hamilton. Ostro Passivhaus has a new build located in Kippin - a historic conservation village. The house is located in a semi-rural setting and enjoys a woodland view, the build features naturally weathered timber cladding, reflecting the surrounding environment. Ostro Passivhaus are exemplar low energy home's, achieving Passivhaus Certification and meeting requirements of Technical Standard Section 7: Sustainability Gold Level. The home has received The Scottish Design Awards in 2022 for its innovation and energy efficiency.
Ostro Passivhaus is a build which follows the concept of a "box within a box". The inner "box" is a homogenous sculpture which covers all space within the building, the inner "box" is oak-clad, this contains all services, circulation spaces, and its compact layout maximises efficiency of building services and the internal floor area, which allows a double-height living space. The outer “box” is a rainscreen of naturally weathered timber cladding with vertically orientated triple glazed openings, oriented on a north-south axis. The rooms are situated in the spaces between the inner and outer boxes, the project is a shining example of contemporary architecture in the rural setting.
This property has achieved Passivhaus Certification and meets the demanding requirements of the Technical Standards Section 7: Sustainability Gold Level. The building has been praised for being an exemplar example of sustainable, energy efficient homes by Allan Murray, chair of the Scottish Design Awards 2022. Paper Igloo Ltd are a small design company which focus on Passivhaus new builds and energy efficient retrofit projects, which also includes work on Listed and historic properties. Paper Igloo has a Passivhaus Designer within the practice, with an additional "PHPP" seal, and who is also a section 6 certifier. Paper Igloo Ltd are also members of the UK Passivhaus Trust and SEDA, in addition to this, one of the company Director’s sits on the Stirling Society of Architects Committee and the RIAS Sustainability Working Group. The company also support and participate in campaign groups such as the Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN).
The use of Passivhaus designs for new builds in Scotland will be beneficial for communities and future building developments, providing excellent examples of energy efficient homes locally and nationally. Passivhaus homes provide financial advantages, with rising energy prices being a concern for many, energy efficient homes can relieve pressure from expensive energy bills. Passivhaus homes are also have increased durability compared to conventional homes using modern materials. The airtightness of Passivhaus builds reduce the amount of air and moisture entering the building, which significantly reducing the risk of mould and degradation. Energy efficient homes like Passivhaus will contribute to a lower energy future, giving benefits to local communities and the global environment.