A surge in client demand to deliver net-zero-ready buildings, has seen Castle Building Services bolster its environmental credentials.
As part of its own sustainable journey, the Constructing Excellence in the North East 2023 SME of the Year winner, continues to invest and upskill its team with members of each department achieving Passivhaus Institut certification.
Passivhaus adopts a whole-building approach with clear, measured targets, focused on high-quality construction, certified through an exacting quality assurance process.
It is a solution that offers a range of proven approaches to deliver net-zero-ready, new and existing buildings, optimised for a decarbonised grid and augmented for occupant health and wellbeing. Passivhaus buildings provide a high level of occupant comfort using very little energy for heating and cooling.
In-line with this, the company has secured a number of Passivhaus projects having been appointed as mechanical and electrical contractor for a variety of school projects across Scotland, including Currie Community High School, set to be one of Scotland’s most energy efficient high schools.
It will be the first Passivhaus designed secondary school in the country, leading a new generation of zero carbon schools.
The company has also secured the M&E contract with Maybury Primary School, which is being built to Passivhaus standards, following Edinburgh City Council’s commitment to a net zero target by 2023. As a result, it has committed to embark on an ambitious strategy to develop a number of combined schools and community hubs to meet Passivhaus standards.
Simon Groom, technical director at Castle Building Services, said: “As we continue to look at ways to future proof the business through upskilling and investing, we want to ensure our workforce is equipped with both the skills and knowledge on sustainable methods of design, procurement and construction.
“As such, becoming Passivhaus accredited was a natural progression for us. We are passionate about sustainable construction methods and the Passivhaus standard is one of the leading construction methodologies, focused on delivering net-zero-ready buildings, reducing carbon emissions and creating high quality internal environments which maximise occupant comfort.
“Lots of the fundamentals of this method are also transferable to any type of construction and adopting them has helped us improve the quality and sustainability of our installations. We also identified that many of our clients are adopting this method of construction, and this was a key driver for us, to ensure we can continue to meet their needs and the industry’s responsibility in the drive to meet carbon targets.”