Giuliano and Zara built their dream home in Lincolnshire in 2024.
“We are building a malthouse-inspired modern home within the Lincolnshire Wolds – an area of outstanding natural beauty. We’re aiming to achieve a delicate balance of modern and characterful architecture by utilising materials like tumbled handmade buff bricks and cor-ten steel, paying homage to the malthouse that once stood on the site in the 17th century, yet creating something new entirely.
Inside is a semi-open plan layout with vaulted areas and large expanses of south-facing glazing to let plenty of light in to fill the space. It is so easy to get caught up in details in the pursuit of perfection, yet the design approach we are taking is focused on ‘wabi-sabi’ – an aesthetic that appreciates the beauty that is imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete in nature.”
About the Project
Our architect: Lincs Design Consultancy
Heating & Cooling: Heating was ASHP & Underfloor heating + the active heating from the Zehnder Comfoclime unit.
Cooling was a combination of physical measures (Solar glass & overhangs) and the active cooling also from Zehnder Comfoclime.
Domestic Hot Water is powered via ASHP & Solar PV.
Energy Rating: We were aiming for the top A energy rating, and we achieved it.
Why did you choose a Zehnder-by-PAUL MVHR?
“Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery (and cooling in our case!) was such an integral part of the fabric of the build, and design of our home.
We have such a large expanse of south facing glass, and as such, we needed cooling to offset this. The Zehnder Comfoclime achieves this and works brilliantly. What you don’t notice, and take for granted with MVHR is how every single room in the house is the same temperature*. There are no cold spots.
That is part of the magic of any MVHR. It works silently in the background and improves our day to day wellbeing at home, without realising.”
*) A wee comment from us: Typically MVHR does not equalize temperatures in a dwelling. There can be a temperature difference of 4 – 8°C between heated and unheated rooms. Also excessive solar gains are best avoided through shading or purged with cross-ventilation. Active cooling with a MVHR system is limited in its effect.
What Have You Learned When Installing the MVHR System?
“This was honestly one of the trickiest things we’ve done on the build thus far. It challenged us both technically, and physically! It’s certainly a DIY job you can do to save money, but we found it hard work. Tips:
- Invest in a premium MVHR system. It’s literally the ‘lungs of your house’, and a fit once & forget. We chose @zehnder_uk for their passivhaus rated unit and air cooling functionality.
- Do not try and design it yourself. Work with a professional company like @paulheatrecovery who will calculate the required air flow, placement of ducting and sizing of MVHR unit, based on your property size.
- Work with extra pair of hands. Not only for the metal ductwork, but for feeding the semi rigid ducting through the joists. They can take a bit of convincing.
We wouldn’t have been able to get the install done without the remote support from @paulheatrecovery. They were extremely accomodating and helpful throughout the entire process, always picking up the phone to help us during the install. Can’t recommend them enough.”
What was your experience with PAUL Heat Recovery?
“We had an absolutely fantastic experience with Paul Heat Recovery. We had never installed a MVHR system before, or done anything like it. We’re pretty DIY capable, but it was a bit daunting to install the whole thing ourselves, with nothing but a sheet of detailed drawings from Paul Heat Recovery.
However, the whole team at Paul Heat Recovery were absolutely phenomenal in providing us remote support over the phone, during every single step of the install. No matter how simple or complex the question, the whole project and technical team were only a phone call away, even happy to talk us through elements as we went through the install.
I don’t know many companies who would offer that level of service and customer care. We were truly blown away. Truth be told, we probably became regular callers for Greg, Garrie and Steven! Not once did they lose their cool when asked a silly or obvious question from us two newbie MVHR installers.
This has absolutely been the highlight of working with Paul Heat Recovery, and I wouldn’t hesitate to use Paul Heat Recovery in future, or recommend them.” Giuliano and Zara