Duncombe Barracks – York

Bowman Riley was appointed by City of York Council to act as Principal Designer under the Building Safety Act for the internal fit-out of a single commercial unit within the Duncombe Barracks Passive House development.

Our role was to plan, manage, and monitor the design work throughout the design and construction stages, ensuring full compliance with Building Regulations.

The project presented a unique challenge: delivering a fully compliant commercial space which also needs to maintain Passive House credentials. This included triple-glazed windows and doors, Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR), and hybrid heating systems. As work progressed on site, our team attended regular site visits to monitor compliance, provided detailed responses to Building Regulation queries, reviewed subcontractor designs, advised York City Council on Building Control matters, and managed change control in material specifications.

Our involvement required close coordination with the contractor and our client to ensure the project was executed in accordance with the building regulations. The result is a 52m² commercial unit that meets rigorous energy efficiency standards while offering improved air quality, passive heating and cooling, and long-term sustainability.

The Duncombe Barracks project marks a milestone as York’s first Passive House commercial unit, providing a high-performance space that supports the city’s low-carbon future.

Image credit: architect Mikhail Riches and Caddick Construction.

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