Passive House Tour of Hempcrete Passive House
— Read on passivehouseaustralia.org/iCore/Events/Event_Display.aspx

Bass Coast Shire has entrusted design of COWES Cultural Centre to PassiveHouse practitioners. In contrast with highly respected CSIRO developed NABERS, building efficiency standard. Bass Coast Shire has entrusted design of COWES Cultural Centre to Passive House practitioners. In contrast with CSIRO developed NABERS, building efficiency standard.

PassiveHouse offers just one software product, last update 2015. There’s just a single PASS/FAIL rating, that energy consumption should be less than 15kWh/m2/year. This corresponds with 8 star in NABERS. In your climate, if low occupancy or occasional high, cost/benefit might be preferred at 7 star, or maybe critical required 9 star. With NABERS you can check capital cost for rating against annual energy cost.

Other than the software product, on PassiveHouse web site, there’s just one other product, per above, well established and respected Hempcrete. For COWES, outside cladding is concrete bricks. Some environmental cred is claimed with some of aggregate in bricks being recycled crushed glass. Energy balance is less than making new glass products. Compared with composite large, insulated, structural panels, installation time will obviously be much longer, assuming no problems with supply chain or availability of tall building brick layers.

As original design was discarded, cost was higher by 50% at $32Million. This building replaces what, before Kennet amalgamation, was Phillip Island town hall, shire offices, library and theatre all of which have been AWOL for a couple of years already. In 9th month of construction, on site they’re still placing big blocks of styrofoam for impending concrete pour(s). Completion is scheduled for 2023, plus or minus? It will be interesting to see how much blowout in final cost.