Fresh Air (MVHR): How Smart Ventilation Keeps Your Home Healthy and Warm
The quiet, always-on system that lets an airtight home breathe without losing its heat.
Why Airtight Homes Still Need Ventilation
Every one of our project paths — new builds, conversions, and extensions — relies on a tightly sealed building envelope to stop heat escaping. But a sealed home still needs a constant supply of fresh air to stay healthy. Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) solves this by extracting stale, humid air from kitchens and bathrooms and supplying filtered fresh air to living rooms and bedrooms — all without opening a single window.
Why Airtight Homes Still Need Ventilation
Every one of our project paths — new builds, conversions, and extensions — relies on a tightly sealed building envelope to stop heat escaping. But a sealed home still needs a constant supply of fresh air to stay healthy. Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) solves this by extracting stale, humid air from kitchens and bathrooms and supplying filtered fresh air to living rooms and bedrooms — all without opening a single window.
Recovering the Heat, Not Just the Air
The "heat recovery" part is what makes MVHR different from a simple extractor fan. As stale warm air is drawn out, it passes through a heat exchanger that transfers most of its warmth into the incoming fresh air — typically recovering 85-95% of the heat that would otherwise be lost. The result is constant fresh air with almost none of the energy penalty.
Recovering the Heat, Not Just the Air
The "heat recovery" part is what makes MVHR different from a simple extractor fan. As stale warm air is drawn out, it passes through a heat exchanger that transfers most of its warmth into the incoming fresh air — typically recovering 85-95% of the heat that would otherwise be lost. The result is constant fresh air with almost none of the energy penalty.
Where It Fits Into Your Project
MVHR is most effective, and most affordable, in a genuinely airtight building — which is why it pairs naturally with the fabric-first approach used across every path on this site. It's specified once, ducted discreetly during construction or conversion, and then runs quietly in the background for the life of the home.
Where It Fits Into Your Project
MVHR is most effective, and most affordable, in a genuinely airtight building — which is why it pairs naturally with the fabric-first approach used across every path on this site. It's specified once, ducted discreetly during construction or conversion, and then runs quietly in the background for the life of the home.