The role and impact of passive buffer spaces retrofitted to existing houses

Passive houses which incorporate conservatories and buffer spaces have been widely researched over a number of years however the focus has almost always been on how to develop and optimise their use in new buildings. The very low replacement rates for existing stock (typically about 0.5% per annum in the UK) means that there is a long lasting legacy of poorly performing existing dwellings. This paper discusses options for improving energy efficiency in housing and identifies the potential for use of retrofitted buffer spaces as an important consideration. It then reports on studies carried out to investigate improvements to an existing house design with the specific aim of using buffer spaces (which also act as transition zones) rather than larger conservatory type sunspaces which act as additional living accommodation. Two case studies are presented together with a series of conclusions based upon theory and empirical evidence.