A new paper explores practical approaches for delivering quality on large and/or complex high-performance Passivhaus low-energy construction projects
The paper, ‘Delivering Quality’, stems from a joint collaboration between Passivhaus Trust (PHT) and Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST) and has been developed by Tier 1 contractors (T1C) and key stakeholders.
Morrison Construction acted as lead author, supported by other Tier 1 contractors and supply chain partners, ensuring the work is both technically robust and informed by industry.
Sarah Lewis, co-director at the UK Passivhaus Trust, said: “The Passivhaus Trust has been blown away by the way Tier 1 contractors have embraced the Passivhaus methodology and worked collaboratively to share their learnings.
The Delivering Quality Paper is a distillation of best practice approaches drawn from their experiences and includes a vast resource of practical tips, which will be invaluable for contractors working on Passivhaus projects both large and small.”
Improving knowledge bases for better building
The report builds on a previous project between T1C collaborators Morrison Construction, Kier Construction, Balfour Beatty, Robertsons and Morgan Sindall, their supply chains and BE-ST, which saw a test bay, known as the Tardis, being built in the BE-ST Factory.
The Tardis allowed the consortia to learn more about thermal principles and airtightness in practice, to test new processes, products, and methods so that the T1C collaborators, other members of the industry and their supply chain could improve their builds and knowledge base.
“The Delivering Quality report builds on our previous collaborations between BE-ST, PHT and T1Cs in supporting the construction industry to achieve high performing buildings, an example of this is the Tardis test bay,” explained Caitriona Jordan, associate director of retrofit and energy efficiency at BE-ST.
“While this project focused on the technical design pre-contract to achieve quality, the newly published report focuses on the workplace and sector culture we need to get it right first time, every time on site.”
Overcoming challenges in delivering high-quality projects
Stakeholders noted that achieving the high levels of quality required for Passivhaus and low-energy construction projects relies on evolving how existing tools and processes are applied, particularly through construction and handover.
This paper collates and analyses the collective experience of these contractors to document the common challenges and provide practical recommendations to overcome these and achieve desired quality standards.
Delivering Quality finds that, ultimately, achieving quality outputs and outcomes in Passivhaus and low-energy construction projects depends on leadership and culture, not only systems and standards.
It reports that strong leadership can create a culture for success by setting expectations, driving best practice, and giving teams the confidence to take ownership of solutions.
Embedding this culture means creating an environment where people care about outcomes, take pride in their work, feel valued, and understand the ‘why’ behind every requirement.
Embedding quality in every stage of low-energy construction projects
The paper also explains the impact of embedding a culture of quality in every area of delivery from programme management, and how it influences planning time to consistently deliver a quality product, to training and how it fosters competence and embeds continuous learning on site.
BE-ST and Passivhaus Trust are planning to disseminate the findings of the paper to the wider UK construction industry through webinars, training and working with professional bodies.
Allan Smith, low carbon manager at Morrison Construction, concluded: “Delivering quality is the responsibility of all project stakeholders and ensuring that all parties understand their ‘why’ is critical to establishing a culture of quality throughout.
“We hope by sharing lessons learned and established quality processes will contribute to better-performing buildings.”
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