The utilisation of the German Passivhaus Standard has grown rapidly in recent years. Stimulated by the shift towards energy efficient design and rising fuel costs, the concept is perceived as a potential means of meeting future zero carbon targets through an established, reliable methodology. The standards ability to ensure adequate indoor air quality in a UK climate however remains fundamentally under-researched. This paper investigates the potential implications of the Passivhaus standard on indoor air quality. A case study is presented, which consisted of indoor air
quality measurements, occupant diary, building survey and occupant interviews in a Passivhaus social housing project in the UK. The findings provide much needed insights into indoor air quality in homes designed to this standard; which can be disseminated to aid the development of effective sustainable building design that is appropriate to localised climatic conditions and sensitive to the health of building occupants.