Designing low-energy homes for Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds and beyond.
PassivHaus design represents the most rigorous standard for energy-efficient building in the world. Across Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds, the Chilterns, London and throughout the UK, PassivHaus homes deliver ultra-low energy use, exceptional comfort, and unrivalled air quality, and it should be very much seen as a comfort standard alongside being a sustainability standard.
At Gresford Architects, we are experienced PassivHaus architects with a reputation for combining advanced building science with elegant, site-specific design. PassivHaus is not simply a certificate for us — it is a philosophy: a way of creating homes that are warm in winter, cool in summer, and profoundly sustainable, without compromising beauty or context.
Our director Tom Gresford brings both professional and personal experience. He has delivered award-winning low-energy projects including The Deerings, which won a RIBA East Award (2018) for its PassivHaus performance, and his own family home, The Old Orchard, retrofitted to EnerPhit standards. Both projects have been widely published in Grand Designs Magazine, Dezeen, The Modern House and The Spaces.
What is PassivHaus?
Originating in Germany in the early 1990s and now internationally recognised, PassivHaus is a voluntary building standard that ensures homes meet the strictest criteria for comfort and efficiency.
PassivHaus comes in three levels — Classic, Plus and Premium — depending on renewable generation and energy balance. The result: homes that use up to 90% less energy for heating and cooling than conventional construction.
At the heart of PassivHaus is a fabric-first approach, verified through PHPP (Passivhaus Planning Package) modelling, ensuring buildings perform in reality, not just on paper.
The five priciples of Passivhaus design:
- Thermal insulation
The walls, roof and floors have thick, high-quality insulation that keeps indoor temperatures steady in both winter and summer. - Airtight construction
The structure is carefully sealed to prevent drafts, reduce energy loss and keep the heat contained within the building. - Triple-glazed windows
High-performance windows reduce heat transfer and help maintain indoor temperatures while still letting in natural light. - Fresh air system
MVHR means mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. A ventilation system supplies filtered fresh air while reclaiming heat from outgoing air, improving efficiency and indoor air quality all year-round. - Thermal bridge free design
The structure is designed so heat cannot escape through corners, edges, or other structural junctions.
Modern two-storey house with a flat roof, timber cladding exterior, large windows, and a driveway with an electric car, architecture by Gresford Architects.
The Deerings – A suburban PassivHaus, generating more energy than it consumes through a marriage of solar technology and ultra-high performance fabric.
Modern two-storey house with timber cladding and large windows sits in a landscaped garden with curved paths. Architecture by Gresford Architects.
Hartford Greys – A rural PassivHaus, set on a wooded hillside, currently under construction.
A rural landscape with a modern grey house, trees, and a clear sky, viewed across an open field with some plants in the foreground. Architecture by Gresford Architects.
Chieveley – A new-build family home and our first certified Passivhaus where triple glazing, timber structure, and MVHR combine to create a sanctuary of comfort with negligible running costs.
Why choose Gresford Architects for PassivHaus design?
- Certified expertise: We are certified PassivHaus designers and long-standing members of the Passivhaus Trust.
- Award-winning track record: Winners of the RIBA East Award for The Deerings and shortlisted for other RIBA Awards, with projects profiled in leading design media.
- First-hand knowledge: Tom Gresford has built a certified passivhaus and lived in an EnerPhit standard home, bringing over 12 years of Passivhaus experience and real-world insight to every client project.
- Professional standing: A RIBA Chartered Practice, Green Register accredited, and members of the AECB (Association for Environment Conscious Building).
- Heritage sensitivity: With links to the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), we understand how to balance PassivHaus rigour with conservation.
- Client-focused delivery: From feasibility to final blower-door test, we guide clients through every decision, providing clarity and confidence.
- Passionate and in depth knowledge — Tom and the team live and breathe residential architecture, and have a particular passion for Passivhaus design, which they believe is the best way to build new homes. At home and work, and by his bedside table, Toms bookshelves are crammed with inspiration from Andrea Palladio to David Chipperfield and Mole Architects, visiting Sir John Soane, Frank Lloyd Wright and the Eames along the way, Toms love of residential architecture reaches back to his childhood and shows no sign of abating.
Our goal is simple: PassivHaus homes that are tailored, timeless, and transformative.
