Designed to Perform: An Illustrated Guide to Providing Energy Efficient Homes, Paperback

This book is an illustrated practical design guide to delivering better energy performance in all types of new build homes. It takes the form of an annotated details book, with photos taken from live construction sites, with the content based around diagrams, drawings and photos by the author, which demonstrates valuable best practice knowledge and advice.

Chapter 1 is an introduction to the performance gap and the quality of design and construction in new build homes, explaining the typical construction sequence of homebuilding, and highlights common issues that designers need to engage with. Chapters 2-7 look at each construction fabric in turn, including a series of detailed drawings, diagrams and photos illustrating the key elements of good design. Chapter 8 contains a checklist of all performance gap issues that designers need to look for.

This book will provide valuable guidance to architects and designers on how to improve their detailing at construction stage, and therefore the overall quality of design and performance of new homes.

Tom Dollard is Head of Sustainable Design at Pollard Thomas Edwards. He is an architect with wide experience in sustainable design and construction, with a particular specialism in Passivhaus. He is author of the Zero Carbon Hub Builders' Book and has lead performance gap site reviews since 2013.