Scotland’s first multi-storey Passivhaus building benefits from Protect Membranes’ air and vapour control layers

Protect BarriAir and reflective VC Foil Ultra, the air and vapour control layers from Protect Membranes, have been specified and installed by specialist design and build contractor Stewart & Shields on Scotland’s first multi-storey Passivhaus building. Used as part of the residential conversion of Old Carntyne Church, a semi-derelict building in Glasgow, the construction involved restoring the existing structure and adding a new-build extension, which was built offsite. The social housing apartments are designed around Passivhaus principles, with the overall aim of helping to eliminate fuel poverty on behalf of client Shettleston Housing Association.

Protect BarriAir & VC Foil Ultra construction membranes installed in Cunningham House

Funded through Glasgow’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme and renamed Cunningham House, the reworked building is one of Scotland’s most energy-efficient affording housing developments, and Glasgow’s largest Passivhaus development to date. Designed to extremely high standards of energy efficiency and airtightness, the scheme won the Best Affordable Housing Development (Urban) category at the 2019 Inside Housing Development Awards, with Stewart & Shields also being nominated as a finalist in the Scottish Home Awards for the project.

Protect VC Foil Ultra & BarriAir

Working with Page Park Architects for the main project design, and John Gilbert Architects to ensure the Passivhaus standard was designed into the scheme, Stewart & Shields delivered a total of 19 apartments. 14 of these were modified and conventionally built flats within the existing church structure, incorporating 13 amenity flats and a semi-detached three-bedroom home, with five units being constructed within the new build extension, which was built to full Passivhaus standards and is independently certified by the Passive House Institute. With strict levels of airtightness levels and vapour control required in order to deliver energy efficiency on the project, Stewart & Shields turned to Protect Membranes for a solution.

Protect BarriAir is ideal for Passivhaus projects

“The specification of materials for this development was based on the need for a high-quality end result to meet Passivhaus criteria”, explains Derek McIlreavy, Business Development and Design Manager at Stewart & Shields.  “We knew that Protect BarriAir and VC Foil Ultra would be up to the job in terms of airtightness to help us achieve the critical results needed to be independently certified. We had to beat 0.6 ach-¹ @50Pa for airtightness, and our tests showed a result of 0.33, which overall gave an added value solution to our client that helps to future proof these homes going forward.”

Ceiling installed with Protect BarriAir air & vapour control layer

Protect’s BarriAir and VC Foil Ultra membranes form part of a comprehensive range of wall, ceiling and floor construction membranes, alongside roofing underlays and accessories, which are ideal for both traditional and offsite construction. Protect Membranes’ extensive portfolio helps to ensure that the whole building envelope and internal structure can be controlled in terms of moisture management, condensation control and thermal resistance.

Cunningham House development during construction

Protect’s membranes are produced in the UK and designed for the UK and Irish markets. Products are CE marked to relevant standards, with the majority being Q-Mark certified to BM TRADA. Protect is a member of the Structural Timber Association (STA), holds the STA Assure Gold Accreditation and is a member of the Modular and Portable Building Association (MPBA). It is also a sister company to Glidevale with its range of ventilation and building products.

Contact Details
For more information on how Protect products can be incorporated into both residential and commercial builds, please visit the website, email or call 0161 905 5700, quoting ‘Cunningham House.’