Passive House Profile: Torrens Early Learning Centre
Torrens Early Learning Centre
Commendation for Sustainable Commercial Construction, Master Builders Award
Torrens Early Learning Centre is a daycare and kindergarten facility in Canberra ACT and is the only privately-owned Passivhaus educational facility in the world. The client’s goal was to build the healthiest and most sustainable childcare centre in Australia and meeting the Certified Passivhaus standard was a key performance requirement.
The centre caters for up to 90 children plus around 20 staff. It consists of two two-story buildings linked by a large external deck and playground. The first was an adaptation of an existing building’s footprint and while it aimed for Passivhaus certification, it did not meet the final airtight criteria. The second building houses six large classrooms and met the Passivhaus Premium standard.
Windows were carefully designed to distribute natural light into the classrooms while also shielding unwanted heat gain in summer. The mechanical ventilation system was proven during bushfires in January 2020, when Canberra had the dubious distinction of the worst air quality in the world. (Air quality index readings above 200 are considered hazardous; readings in Canberra peaked at 7700.)
The client offered some advice for those considering commercial Passivhaus projects. Firstly, employ main trades and sub-contractors who are certified Passivhaus tradespeople or at least trained in the methodology. Second, while there may be a cost premium compared to a Code-minimum build, low operating costs mean a quick return on investment.
“As a commercial building, it is world-class in its thermal efficiency, and therefore highly energy efficient. My other buildings cost me $15,000 a year in electricity, while Torrens costs only $36. And that is mostly the grid-connection fees!” —Torrens Early Learning Centre owner
SPPHC2020 | Day 1 | Tuesday 13 October 2020: Stream 2 - Early Learning Centre - ACT
PROJECT TEAM
Architect / Designer: Christie Hartfiel Architectural Design / CanPLAY / VRD Design
Passive House Designer / Consultant: H3Space
Builder: Phil Bates Building Services/ CarbonLite / CanPLAY
Passive House Certifier: Luc Plowman- Detail Green
PASSIVHAUS METRICS
Certified 2017 Passivhaus Premium
Heating Demand 15 kWh/m²/year
Heating Load 12 W/m²
Cooling / Dehumidification Demand 1 kWh/m²/year
Cooling Load 4 W/m²
Treated Floor Area 768 m²
Form Factor 2.4
Air Leakage @ 50Pa 0.6 ACH
Primary Energy Requirement 54 kWh/m²/year
Generation of Renewable Energy 143 kWh/m²/year
Photography by Kayle Barton and courtesy of Natalie Colbert.
Read more about the Torrens Early Learning Centre here.