What we do
We use the Passivhaus methodology to guide the design of better quality, high comfort, and affordable buildings. It is a very broad reaching process which influences the massing, the architecture, construction method and building services. The work starts at concept stage and runs continuously through to occupation & feedback.
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Our technical analysis helps Architects and Buidling Services consultants balance performance, cost and buildability of form, fabric & MEP. We do this on new build or Retrofit projects.
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We guide a project from concept to completion, we run DesignPH to model large and complex buildings in SketchUp and PHPP.
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For Passivhaus, Zero carbon & low energy schemes; with an emphasis on housing, student housing and rational low energy buildings.
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Advice on how to achieve an air tight building at completion
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Air tightness testing without the blower-door. We use our ultrasonic air leak detector during construction works; before the walls are covered up- to identify gaps in good time to be resolved. As there’s no blower door required, we can do this at any stage- even before the windows are in. Read more here.
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We use 2D PSI Therm to model heat loss and surface temperatures for 2D
Our Background
We are a three-strong practice with a special focus on high efficiency and high comfort housing. We are building services engineers- we design the energy systems for buildings. We consult closely with the architect, structural engineer and client to advise on the building form and methods of construction. So the loads are minimised, and the result is an efficient and elegant building.
With 15 years of experience, Bertie Dixon is the lead at Inside Outside Engineering Ltd. Bertie’s experience is in highly innovative low energy housing projects, as summarised in Our Work. His training has been unusually broad within that sector.
At Inside Outside, we like to understand the bigger picture, such as the sustainable impact of a whole scheme through Passivhaus Methodology.
Yet we also enjoy delivering the fine detail; such as trouble shooting a complex district heating network, or resolving complex duct design to meet the exacting appearance and finish required by leading ‘high tech’ architects Hopkins.
Leak Seeking
The Leak Seeker can identify gaps where a blower door can’t.
We offer a specialist service to find gaps in an airtight layer in situations where a blower-door or pulse test are impractical.
We use our ultrasonic air leak detector ; a spin-off from Naval diagnostics, on site, during construction works. As there’s no need for a blower door and a sealed building, we can do this at any stage in any room- even before the windows are in. In this way you can get very early feedback on where the leaks are, to solve them straight away and avoid expensive re-work later.
This approach is best suited to early stage testing; as soon as a wall is built, or once a window installed. The contractor might build a mock-up panel; to test construction details long before they are built. You can’t blower-door test a mock up panel, but you can use an ultrasonic Leak Seeker.
Equally, on larger or more complex projects where cost /complexity of co-pressurising adjacent zones might be prohibitive, the Leak Seeker offers an immediate localised feedback on quality of the air & vapour control layer installation quality.
In short, you can use the Leak Seeker anywhere where achieving a pressurised zone isn’t practical.
