Kooltherm Thermally Efficient Framing Board from Kingspan

The term passive house is becoming more frequently heard as the building industry turns its focus towards a zero carbon target. Although energy efficiency was a perk of the passive house concept, the initiative was actually focused on building long-term sustainable buildings and ensuring the comfort and health of its occupants.

As the trend grows and technology develops, passive houses have begun popping up around the globe. Unfortunately for Australia and New Zealand, initial obstacles such as the availability of products and materials in the region have resulted in the standard being delayed in these countries.

This stunning design by Passivhaus Perth located in the beachside Western Australian suburb of Cottesloe however, has kicked off the race in WA by becoming the first certified Passivhaus in the state and the first Passivhaus Premium standard building in Australia.

Built to accommodate a family and keep with the light and airy beach house feel, no comfort was sacrificed in this phenomenal design. It's super high thermal performance and excellent indoor air quality are just some of the performance results of the design and execution.

Kingspan Kooltherm K10 FM Soffit Board and Kooltherm K12 Framing Board were included in the building's envelope to provide higher thermal performance where other forms of insulation could not deliver the required results.

"We used Kooltherm as it was able to provide high value thermal protection where the square hollow section steel beam penetrated the thermal layer and came close to the upper surface. Kooltherm gave us the ability to increase the thermal protection in this vulnerable zone and reduce the thermal bridge to an acceptable level," commented Passivhaus consultant Roger Joyner.

Kingspan Kooltherm offers amongst the most thermally efficient conductivity and highest thermal performance values available. It's exceptional performance allows for the profile of the insulation to be slimmer than alternative insulation methods and still achieve the same performance.

"The slim profile of our product allows it to be used in spaces where other insulation can't be used. Its rigid structure allows it to achieve continuous insulation in its applications. This is what assists passive house designers to be more diverse in their designs and bring more innovation to their solutions," commented Technical Services manager, Killian Smith.

"Kingspan works closely with architects and building designers during the design, specification and installation processes, and can provide customised solutions to get the best results from the insulation in any building," continued Smith.

Kingspan collaborates with companies such as Passivhaus Perth who in turn assist clients, architects, building designers and builders to design their buildings to the Passivhaus standard and take these buildings through the Passivhaus certification process providing independent certified assurance of the health, comfort and energy efficiency of the building.

As sponsors of the 2018 South Pacific Passive House Conference, Kingspan's commitment to sustainability is evident in all parts of its business.

"Kingspan continue to be a leader in sustainable manufacturing practises within the built environment and our Kooltherm phenolic products are now a key component of passive house thinking in the northern hemisphere," commented Kingspan Insulation Marketing Manager, Neil Cox.

"As the passive house movement evolves in the APAC region, Kingspan Insulation is looking forward to contributing to the ongoing growth of sustainable buildings closer to home," finished Cox.

Image supplied by Passivhaus Perth.