Crossway & Hawkes Architecture: 20 Years of Passivhaus, and a New Studio in Passive Purple

Welcome to What’s New & Our Friends — where we share the new tech, standout buildings and the people we rate from across the world of low-energy building. There was only one place to start.

Crossway, Staplehurst — England’s first certified Passivhaus, by Hawkes Architecture.

Crossway: where it began

We took a trip to Crossway, the home and project of architect Richard Hawkes of Hawkes Architecture. You may already recognise it: the sweeping parabolic arch set into the Kent countryside that featured on Grand Designs back in 2009.

Crossway was the first certified Passivhaus completed in England — and it is no ordinary build. Its roof is the world’s largest timbrel-vaulted arch: around 9 metres high and 20 metres wide, formed from roughly 26,000 handmade clay tiles produced within four miles of the site and built using a medieval technique that needs no supporting formwork. Planning was granted under the countryside exception policy (PPS 7, now Paragraph 84) reserved for buildings of truly exceptional design.

On site at Crossway with architect Richard Hawkes.

Twenty years on, still going strong

What struck us most? Two decades on, Crossway is still performing beautifully — proof that genuine fabric-first, Passivhaus design stands the test of time. Richard is still pushing low-energy building forward — which brings us to what’s new.

A new studio — in Passive Purple

This summer, Richard and his 18-year-old son are building a brand-new studio on site, and we were lucky enough to be there as it took shape. It’s going up in timber frame and SterlingOSB Zero, made airtight with Passive Purple internally and Passive Purple External on the outside — an airtight, weatherproof, vapour-open envelope in one liquid-applied system.

Mixing up Passive Purple, ready to go on.

Internal vs external Passive Purple — same airtight system, the right grade for each job.

Seeing the next generation pick up the tools — and choose liquid-applied airtightness for the job — was exactly the kind of feel-good moment this page is all about.

Talking the Hawkes team through the airtight detailing.

Hats off to Hawkes

Huge thanks to Richard and the team at Hawkes Architecture for having us. Crossway is a reminder of how far British low-energy building has come — and the new studio is a glimpse of where it’s going.

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