Delivering Passivhaus-Standard Housing at Scale: How Wraptite® Enabled a Major Irish Developer to Upgrade to World-Class Performance

A major residential program in Dublin is demonstrating how large-scale housing can successfully transition to high-performance building standards—even when the original design wasn’t intended for it. At Pipers Square in Charlestown, Irish developer Cairn Homes is delivering more than 600 apartment units built to the Passivhaus standard, with the broader development program across four sites expected to exceed 1,700 homes by mid-2026.

At the heart of the project’s airtightness strategy is Wraptite®, the high-performance external air barrier from the A. Proctor Group—also fully available in Australia through Proctor Group Australia.

Adapting an Existing Specification to Achieve the Passivhaus Standard

What makes Pipers Square particularly impressive is that the site was originally purchased with planning approval for a scheme never intended to meet Passivhaus requirements. Rather than redesigning from scratch, Cairn Homes conducted a detailed feasibility study to assess what was needed beyond Ireland’s already stringent “nearly zero energy” (NZEB) building standard.

According to Passive House + magazine, the study revealed that “Cairn’s quality assurance focus and approach to meeting the nearly zero energy building standard required under Irish building regulations made Passivhaus compliance surprisingly attainable.”

As a result, the upgrade pathway was far less extensive than might be expected:

• No additional insulation was required for the apartment building specification
• Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) was already standard
• The key performance uplift was the adoption of triple-glazed windows
• Crucially, Wraptite® was already part of the external wall design, providing a robust airtightness strategy from the outset

Why Wraptite® Made the Transition to Passivhaus Simpler

Wraptite® is a Passivhaus-certified airtightness membrane—an important marker of independently verified performance. Having Wraptite® already embedded into the project’s design reduced complexity and ensured that the team was working with a material proven to meet airtightness demands at this level.

Installed externally, Wraptite®:

• Moves the airtightness layer to the outside of the structure
• Simplifies detailing by avoiding interruptions from internal services
• Minimises the number of penetrations
• Maintains full vapour permeability, allowing moisture to safely diffuse outwards
• Reduces the risk of condensation within the external wall

This combination of airtightness and vapour permeability made Wraptite® an ideal fit as Cairn Homes committed to delivering Passivhaus performance at scale.

Installing Wraptite® at Pipers Square

Installation of Wraptite® was undertaken by specialist contractor Platt & Reilly Ltd, who have extensive experience working with the product, including on the nearby Glass Bottle development in Dublin. Their familiarity with the membrane contributed to smooth on-site application and consistent airtightness results.

Because Wraptite® is applied externally, contractors can achieve a more continuous, robust air barrier without the challenges associated with internal service penetrations, junctions and fitout sequencing.

Managing Moisture and Condensation Risk With Advanced Modelling

Once the decision to pursue Passivhaus certification was made, Cairn Homes collaborated closely with the A. Proctor Group’s technical services team. A full condensation risk assessment was carried out using WUFI® hygrothermal modelling, simulating the performance of the proposed wall build-up under realistic climate conditions.

The assessment explored several internal vapour control options, including the potential use of a vapour-variable membrane in combination with vapour-permeable mineral wool insulation.

The WUFI® analysis confirmed that the proposed build-up—featuring Wraptite® on the exterior—posed no interstitial condensation risk, ensuring long-term durability and compliance.

Wraptite® Is Available in Australia Through Proctor Group Australia

High-performance building principles—airtightness, vapour management, energy efficiency—are rapidly becoming central to Australian construction, particularly as the industry moves toward Passive House, NCC condensation management and healthier, more resilient buildings.

The Class 4 vapour permeable ProctorPassive Wraptite®, manufactured with a full coverage patented vapour permeable is available locally through Proctor Group Australia, backed by expert technical support, hygrothermal modelling and specification guidance.

To specify Wraptite® for your next residential or commercial project, contact Proctor Group Australia.

Deliver airtightness. Reduce condensation risk. Build better-performing buildings.