Irish and British associations unite for conference as passive house explodes

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The timing coincides with an explosion in activity in the passive house standard on both sides of the Irish Sea, reflected by the fact that the largest housebuilders are starting to build at scale to the passive house standard. Housebuilders such as Barratt and Cairn are increasingly turning to the standard as efforts to accelerate genuine building decarbonisation take hold, with new building regulations, investor pressure and net-zero targets driving demand for proven low-energy construction standards.

The conference, to be held on 7-8 October at the International Convention Centre Belfast, a joint initiative of the UK’s Passivhaus Trust and the Passive House Association of Ireland, is expected to play host to attract a wide mix of attendees including architects, engineers, contractors, local authority representatives, housing association professionals, and policy makers.

Themed around passive house solutions to the climate emergency, the conference represents the first major collaboration between the two organisations and marks a significant expansion of the event beyond British shores.

Sessions are set to include keynote presentations on both residential and non-domestic passive house projects, alongside practical workshops on how to deliver passive houses, covering both new build construction and retrofit applications. The conference will open with a comprehensive session on the climate emergency, directly addressing the event's central theme of sustainable building solutions in response to environmental challenges.

Attendees can also expect final sessions focused on passive house futures, exploring emerging trends and innovations in the passive house sector. The programme will be complemented by sponsor exhibitions and dedicated networking opportunities, including coffee breaks and a drinks reception, providing delegates with the opportunity to connect with industry professionals, policymakers, and practitioners from across the UK, Ireland, and beyond. Speaking to Passive House Plus, Passivhaus Trust chief executive Jon Bootland emphasised the historic nature of the partnership.

“We’re delighted that we're working jointly with the Passive House Association of Ireland. It's the first time we've worked together, and it's the first time we've taken the conference outside Britain,” he said. Caroline Ashe Brady, chairperson of the Passive House Association of Ireland, described the collaboration as a landmark moment for the sector.

"We are thrilled to announce this landmark collaboration between the Passive House Association of Ireland and the UK's Passivhaus Trust for our first-ever joint conference, taking place in Belfast in October. This event marks a significant moment for the passive house community across these islands – bringing together shared expertise, common goals, and a united commitment to delivering high-performance buildings in the face of climate and energy challenges. We look forward to welcoming professionals, policymakers, and practitioners from both sides of the Irish Sea, and beyond, to help shape the future of passive house development in these islands,” she said.

Bootland also noted that the conference would demonstrate that the passive house standard can be met at scale by mainstream developers, promising a major improvement in the housing stock of the two countries. Notably, the conference will showcase major developers embracing passive house construction, demonstrating the standard's viability for mainstream housing delivery “We've also got two big developers setting out their story of moving to massive scale passive house: Cairn in Ireland and Barratt in London,” Bootland said.