Passive House (Passivhaus in German) is a building standard that emphasizes energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. The principles of Passive House include:

High Insulation: Passive houses use thick insulation in the walls, roof, and floor to reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.

Air Tightness: Passive houses are designed to be airtight, which reduces drafts and heat loss, and also helps to improve indoor air quality.

Passive Solar Gain: Passive houses use large windows and skylights to take advantage of natural light and solar heat gain in the winter, while also shading windows to prevent overheating in the summer.

Advanced Windows: Passive houses use high-performance windows that are designed to be extremely energy-efficient, and which also help to reduce noise pollution.

Energy Recovery Ventilation: Passive houses use mechanical systems that are designed to recover heat from the air that is exhausted from the building, and to use that heat to preheat fresh air that is brought into the building.

Low-energy consumption: Passive houses are built to minimize energy consumption and need for heating or cooling.

Low-emission construction: Passive houses are built with healthy, low-emitting materials and techniques.

The Passive House standard was developed in Germany in the 1990s, and it has since been adopted by many countries around the world. Buildings that meet the Passive House standard use about 90% less energy for heating and cooling compared to a conventional building. Passive houses are also known to be more comfortable and to have better indoor air quality.

At TERRA! We are Certified Passive House Designers and have wide experience on Passive House projects in Australia and overseas. Interested? Talk to us about your next project!