Alan and Jane Hill’s home-building project is stymied by soaring costs, while a community centre renovated to Passivhaus standard is celebrated by Jenny LittlewoodRegarding Adrian Birch’s letter (Britain should adopt the Passivhaus standard to cut energy costs in new homes, 21 May), we have been attempting to build a Passivhaus standard home. However, we cannot justify building to that standard because the cost has risen over the past two years to £3,800 per sq metre for a 165-sq-metre timber-frame build.Obviously, if the nation’s housebuilding companies did try to build to Passivhaus standard, the costs would be less due to economies of scale but, given their constant complaining that they cannot afford to do so, and our government’s refusal to stipulate higher environmental standards, it seems highly unlikely that they will try to future-proof their often poorly built and designed homes. As for our desperately needed social homes, if building costs remain as high, how many will be able to be built to a Passivhaus standard? Continue reading...