Housing at Dormont

Does the building sector have to be so energy-intensive?

The housing sector accounts for 20% of England’s greenhouse gas emissions. In Scotland, that figure is 13%, even though Scottish homes are responsible for 30% of the nation’s energy use. This difference can be partially explained by Scotland’s focus on renewable energy. At places like the Dormont Estate, managers are taking even greater responsibility to reduce residential carbon emissions by building to the Passivhaus standard.

The Passivhaus concept was designed by German physicist Dr Wolfgang Feist as a framework for low-impact housing using passive (natural) energy. A greenhouse keeps plants warm by capturing and holding onto heat from the sun rather than burning firewood - that’s an example of passive energy. Passivhaus developments work by doing the same kind of thing in various clever ways. Browse the materials below to learn more.

Dormont is a rural estate near Lockerbie. Once used as a dairy farm, the land now hosts an affordable housing development built to the Passivhaus standard. Watch the video to hear about residents’ experiences in the development, and browse former Syracuse student Charlotte Bascombe’s summary report about passive housing at Dormont. You can also read more information about the technical aspects of the project here and here.