Comfortable and energy-efficient living should be affordable. That is the aim of Healthy Home Townhouses, which offer Active House standards at a price similar to traditional homes.

Healthy Home Townhouses were conceived to provide beautiful design, a healthy indoor environment and minimal energy consumption. By combining Active House principles with local expertise and experience, the design team aimed to offer the townhouses at a price far lower than most energy-efficient constructions.

Located in the Stjørdal Active House residential complex outside the Norwegian city of Trondheim, the six townhouses form two rows of terraced homes. The complex also includes the detached Future Active House, built in 2012 and used to inform about the design and construction of the townhouses.

Connected by a street separated from the main road, the townhouses offer families a safe environment with views over the Trondheim Fjord and proximity to the mountains. Each townhouse has a floor area of 138 square metres distributed over two floors.

In the ground-floor living room, residents can enjoy sunlight from above thanks to a sun tunnel. But the focal point of each home is the large kitchen and dining area on the upper floor, where roof windows provide daylight from above and facade windows ensure great views of the surroundings.

Each of the three bedrooms – two on the ground floor and one on the first floor – is equipped with windows that enable fast, natural ventilation. Good sleep does not happen by chance, and one contributing factor is adequate fresh air. A regular change of air also helps prevent mould and humidity damage.

The VELUX Energy and Indoor Climate Visualizer has been used to evaluate the homes’ performance in terms of energy, ventilation and indoor climate. Each Healthy Home Townhouse’s total annual energy demand is 51 kWh/m², an impressive 63% less than the average detached house in Norway. Overall, a detailed life cycle analysis has certified that the buildings have a very good environmental balance.

The shape of the construction was optimised in relation to the climate and the site to ensure good interior daylight conditions. Inside, placing the living room on the top floor created an evenly lit day zone and made better use of the narrow plot.