What Are The Benefits Of Passive House Buildings?

You may have seen the term Passive House used here and there, but since it’s a quite complex and often misunderstood approach to construction, we wanted to write a two-part series diving more deeply into it for our readers. Full disclosure — Living Shelter Architects is supportive of the increasing interest in Passive House and we even have a Passive House-certified architect on our team, Troy Howe. If you still have questions after reading, you are always welcome to contact us!

Living Shelter Architects Passive House Building Diagram

What is Passive House?

Passive House is the most stringent energy conservation standard for the assembly of building envelopes in the world. Passive House offers the opportunity for buildings to be resilient, healthy, economical, and environmentally-friendly.

Despite the word “house” in its name, Passive House is not just for residential buildings. The German term PassivHaus actually means “Passive Building” in German. Since residential buildings are where this rigorous building standard was first employed, English-speaking countries translated the German term to Passive House.

How Does Passive House Construction Differ From Regular Construction?

The seminal building elements in a Passive House are: 

  1. a continuous insulation envelope 

  2. a continuous air barrier 

  3. thermal bridge free detailing

  4. high performance windows and 

  5. a heat recovery ventilator

These are essential to achieving much lower energy consumption than standard construction. Standard construction typically does not have either of these because it is only targeting the code minimums allowed. 

What are the benefits of Passive House?

  • Very low energy consumption with the potential of being off-the-grid with the addition of green energy systems, such as solar panels.

  • Very high indoor air quality by substantially reducing unintended air flow through the building envelope and focusing all air flow at one intended location through an HRV with air filters.

  • Substantial reduction or elimination of moisture in the building envelope that may cause mold and mildew.

  • Elimination of the heat stratification in typical homes. The air temperature at the ceiling is almost the same as at the floor.

Are Passive House Homes More Expensive To Build?

Passive House homes may have a 10% - 15% additional cost over standard construction. This additional cost significantly reduces when a Passive House experienced builder is engaged to build the home. There is also a breakeven point as buildings get larger where the additional cost is the same as standard costs.

Can You Turn An Existing Home Into A Passive Home?

Yes, you can! The PassivHaus Institute in Germany recognized the significant need to upgrade the existing building stock. They accounted for this in the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) calling it the EnerPHit certification. However, the EnerPHit approach does not achieve the stringent Passive House standard of new construction.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Passive House series, which will cover materials, why PH standards alone don’t automatically mean a healthy home, and how Living Shelter combines healthy materials with PH assembly to create healthy buildings. And, as always, contact us if you have any questions or are considering a project. We’d love to help!


Testimonials

Testimonials

“Living Shelter has been a pleasure to work with on our campaign project. It was clear that they really worked to create a project that was purpose built to our needs, and from a fundraising standpoint, they are always incredibly responsive to updating renderings and drawings that we've needed for donor meetings.”

—Mike Ritter, Capital Manager, Pasado's Safe Haven

“Our experience in working with Terry Phelan was exceptional! Her talents go far beyond what you would expect from a traditional architect. She has a team that truly listens to your goals, and makes them happen! In doing so, they will surprise you with unexpected spaces that impart a very comfortable feel, usually only found in older homes. In addition to designing our primary residence, the Living Shelter team also helped us with conceptual drawings for a coastal property (future build). That was a very fun project, and shows their flexibility to work with various situations. Creative, knowledgeable, professional and a joy to work with - highly recommend!”

—Michele Scaglia, Client

“We can't recommend Living Shelter highly enough. From our initial dreaming, through concept and design, and on into construction, Terry and the LS team were collaborative and creative -- committed to making our new home sustainable, livable, and beautiful. They helped us a create a healthy home that fits the site and our lifestyle.”

—Mary Huycke, Client

“I worked with Living Shelter Design to design and construct my new home in the mountains near Mt Adams in Washington. Their whole team was fantastic to work with! The design ideas presented creatively addressed my aesthetic and space needs, while also fitting within the available budget. Their flexible approach to developing the design made me feel confident that I could build the house of my dreams. The Living Shelter team was also there during construction to help assist the builder and provide the backup support to address all snafus that invariably arise while building a new home. They were so responsive and got the job done for me!”

—Kim Gilmer, Client

“As an interior designer, I have had the pleasure of working with Terry and the Living Shelter team on many projects. They are extremely professional, knowledgeable about sustainable building, and genuinely wonderful people. I highly recommend them!”

—Sandy Campbell, Entero Design

“Terry Phelan is deeply committed to reducing the environmental impact of her buildings, and her work in load bearing straw bale structures is exceptional.”

—Habib John Gonzalez, Director of Sustainable Works

“Did we tell you we love the plans? We do! You really worked magic. Thanks a lot. We are REALLY happy.”

—Judi and Scott Nicolai

“Terry has consistently demonstrated the rare combination of tenacity, caring, and professionalism throughout.”

—Jane Bakken and Jack Fecker