Basement floor slabs - one of the construction materials covered by guidance under the PassivHaus energy efficiency scheme - could be fitted with lightweight tamp beams to smooth over their concrete encasement.
Speaking at the PassivHaus UK conference this week, Chris Huhne, secretary of state for energy and climate change, noted the impact that warmth and illumination have had on homes in the past.
"From the earliest stone houses - complete with smokeholes - to the grandest Georgian terraces, the heating and lighting of homes had a profound impact on their design," he said.
But with a focus on energy efficiency, he claims that "hard-pressed families" can be assisted by ensuring they do not spend more than is necessary on heating their homes.
The Passive House Planning Package 2007, a collection of tools to calculate the energy profile of properties, includes formulae for the heat loss or gain of heated basement and floor slabs.
However, with restricted access to existing underground rooms, lightweight tamp beams could allow concrete casings to be smoothed over without the need to manoeuvre heavy machinery into the space.
Posted by Jude Whitehouse
Speaking at the PassivHaus UK conference this week, Chris Huhne, secretary of state for energy and climate change, noted the impact that warmth and illumination have had on homes in the past.
"From the earliest stone houses - complete with smokeholes - to the grandest Georgian terraces, the heating and lighting of homes had a profound impact on their design," he said.
But with a focus on energy efficiency, he claims that "hard-pressed families" can be assisted by ensuring they do not spend more than is necessary on heating their homes.
The Passive House Planning Package 2007, a collection of tools to calculate the energy profile of properties, includes formulae for the heat loss or gain of heated basement and floor slabs.
However, with restricted access to existing underground rooms, lightweight tamp beams could allow concrete casings to be smoothed over without the need to manoeuvre heavy machinery into the space.
Posted by Jude Whitehouse