Australia’s first Certified Passivhaus Training facility launches in Qld today

The Construction Training Centre (CTC) is today launching the nation’s first Passivhaus training facility, which will enable industry participants – from carpenters and other industry trades to architects and engineers– to learn about sustainable building principles, among other things.

As the first Certified Passivhaus purpose-built as a training hub, the Bob Marshman Building (BMB) at Salisbury, in southern Brisbane, has adopted a range of innovative sustainable initiatives including circularity, solar panels, EV chargers, and rainwater systems, with the design also promoting pandemic safety and superior indoor air quality.

Worker wellbeing, diversity, and the use of low-carbon materials were prioritised, along with waste reduction, local purchasing and upskilling workers in sustainable practices during construction.

A key feature of Passivhaus design principles, the training centre prioritises sustainability by focusing on airtightness, incorporating heat recovery ventilation systems and next level insulation. The design eliminates thermal bridges, ensuring energy conservation.

CTC CEO Phil Diver said the $6 million industry-leading centre would showcase innovation in how buildings can adapt to climate change.

“The Passivhaus component was the core element. We wanted to build it around an underpinning foundational philosophy, for us that was the low-energy component of Passivhaus,” Mr Diver said.

“It takes a village to build a Passivhaus, and everybody must be committed. The standard requires the team to problem solve together. We found that the result was directly proportionate to the effort we put into upfront planning before we started building.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the building’s ability to influence and change design and construction. I’m hoping in five years' time, that we see Passivhaus become so run-of-the-mill and business as usual, that it is no longer regarded as innovative. It's critical that we get this right and do it sooner; our climate crucially needs us to.”

Australian Passivhaus Association CEO Alexia Lidas said through rigorous Passivhaus protocols, which were becoming prevalent in Europe, the building set a new standard for environmentally-responsible buildings with the BMB targeting energy savings of between 50 and 90 per cent compared to a traditionally-constructed building.

“Not only are Passivhaus buildings the best choice for mitigating our future climate risk, but they provide the ultimate learning environment,” Ms Lidas said.

“Passivhaus buildings have a positive impact on the cognitive function of occupants. The environment fosters a higher level of concentration, with continuous fresh air, comfortable temperature, and a quiet space to think and listen.

“It has been well documented that the quality of a learning environment has a direct impact on the leading to higher learning performance outcomes. Students across Queensland will benefit from an adoption of the Passivhaus standard on both new and also to retrofit existing buildings.”

Ms Lidas said the launch of the BMB was well timed, when many Queensland learning facilities were struggling to cope with mould outbreaks – which posed a risk to the health of Queensland’s students.

“We’d welcome the opportunity to work with schools to help them implement the standard, and Education Queensland could learn from this facility, as Certified Passivhaus buildings create an environment that mould is unable to grow in,” she said.

“With our association, which includes engineers, architects, builders, Government and property developers, growing by 40 per cent in the last year alone, we’ve seen a huge bell curve of growth in the adoption of the standard globally. This is due to the low energy use, climate resilience, health and comfort benefits. Adopting Passivhaus is a no-brainer.”

Bob Marshman Building features include:

• continuous airflow with heat and energy recovery ventilators

• anticipated noise reduction of up to 50 per cent

• steady temperatures, sitting between 22-24°C, ensuring optimum learning environments

• carbon zero concrete, bricks and plasterboard

• double glazed windows and fully-thermal doors

• de-humidifiers (in sub-tropical climates)

• air quality monitors in training rooms

• seven-star energy efficient appliances

• 93 per cent of the construction and demolition waste (CDW) was recycled (5.6 tones)

• 128 x 440 W solar panels, two inverters and four bay EV chargers

• significantly reduced carbon footprint due to lower energy use of up to 80 per cent