NowtHaus - comfort by design, not kit
William Allen, Associate Building Performance Consultant, Ramboll

Too many buildings prioritize mechanical systems over people, inflating complexity, cost, and carbon. HVAC alone can exceed 15% of budgets and the façades cost, while being hard to maintain and energy- and carbon-intensive. This study explores how far passive design can go, reframing comfort around temperature, air movement, and adaptive comfort instead of rare extremes.  

From Constraint to Innovation: Delivering Passivhaus Student Residential at Scale - Fallowfield, University of Manchester
Vicky Ackerley, Director of Residences and Sport, The University of Manchester | Neil McFarlane,  Strategic Development Director, GRAHAM Investment Projects | Natalia Maximova, Partner, Sheppard Robson

The University's Fallowfield Campus redevelopment is among the world's largest Passivhaus developments, delivering 3,300 student beds within a sustainability-led scheme. This presentation brings together the University  and Graham Construction to offer a frank, practical account of the Passivhaus journey at Fallowfield – from setting ambitious performance targets and understanding their impact on design, through to the real construction challenges of delivering airtight, high-performance buildings at scale. Delegates will gain insight into what Passivhaus demands of clients, designers and contractors alike, and why the outcomes are worth the effort.