Is Passivhaus the key to low-carbon leisure?

Burns’ point around the wider challenges will certainly ring true with leisure design teams across the country. Heating a swimming pool – both the water and surrounding air – accounts for nearly 40% of a facility’s running cost. As a result, a more sustainable and efficient building can have long-term operational savings as well as a lower carbon footprint. 

One approach that is gaining traction is the implementation of Passivhaus principles. Initially created with residential buildings in mind, Passivhaus is increasingly being adopted across other sectors and is seen as the exemplar of sustainable design standards.

The methodology behind a Passivhaus building differs from other carbon neutral buildings, which use a combination of energy efficiency and clean energy generation to offset usage. Instead, a Passivhaus building is designed not to use as much energy in the first place, effectively being sealed against the elements to maintain a low level of usage.

While this approach can be rolled out relatively simply for residential, it has long been considered too challenging to transfer to leisure. Leisure centres typically have a voracious appetite for energy, with swimming pools heated to 30ºC. Meanwhile, industry standards around water circulation dictate that 30 litres of water need to be replaced consistently with each bather in the pool.

However, this attitude has been gradually changing. After Passivhaus was trialled with a handful of new pools in Germany, Exeter City Council took the plunge and commissioned the UK’s first Passivhaus leisure centre at St Sidwell’s Point, which opened in spring 2022.

Hot on the heels of St Sidwell’s Point has been a similar but much larger project in Spelthorne, which will be the UK’s largest such facility and the first of its kind in Surrey.

Designed by sports and leisure experts GT3 Architects and Passivhaus designers Gale & Snowden - who worked on St Sidwell’s Point - Willmott Dixon has been appointed to deliver the project.

Roger Forsdyke, managing director of Willmott Dixon's London and South regions, says that they are increasingly working on Passivhaus projects across a range of sectors.

“Spelthorne Leisure Centre is an excellent opportunity to implement a real step-change in how leisure facilities are designed and built,” said Forsdyke. “Reaching Passivhaus standards is a huge commitment and is a real sign of positive intent from Spelthorne Borough Council, and it has been an opportunity for us to take learnings from our other ultra-energy efficient, future-climate ready projects and bring them to the leisure sector.”

While it is optimal in any type of project, enhanced collaboration across the design team is essential for Passivhaus. Spelthorne Borough Council’s chief executive Daniel Mouawad says that the teamwork between themselves and the designers has been essential in bringing the project to fruition.

“The project has always been about partnership working,” said Mouawad. “After a preconstruction period that saw a lot of collaboration across all parties, we're incredibly pleased to have started construction. I believe this project is truly a breakthrough in service delivery, not just for ourselves, but the whole country.”

Mouawad’s thoughts are echoed by Mark Gowdridge, director at GT3 Architects, who said: “We’re very happy with how the project is moving and input from across the design team will only enhance this. This will become a fundamental space for health and wellbeing to the surrounding community, and the energy savings made through the implementation of Passivhaus will be essential in tackling the client’s climate emergency.”