When it came to altering and extending an old miner’s cottage in St Just, Cornwall, taking a best practice approach to thermal bridging was one of a number of measures designed to “future proof” the traditional construction.

Nick Donaldson, of Nick Donaldson Architect, took on the roles of client, architect and builder so that he could turn the cottage into a home capable of adapting to his family’s changing needs for decades to come. He modelled the proposed design for the Passivhaus standard, adopting low-energy building techniques throughout.

“The house is in poor condition, damp, cold (poorly insulated), leaky and in need of extensive renovation,” wrote Nick as part of the planning application to his local council.

As a member of the Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB), Nick was also keen to ensure that the project achieved broader environmental aims, like the use of materials with a lower environmental impact (such as cellulose insulation - recycled newspaper - in the walls of the extension).