About Passive House

Years ago, passive house design was quite literal: the house was heated by the sun, and kept cool by the building’s mass.  With no mechanical system, the house was just that - passive.

Today’s passive house design has evolved quite a bit beyond that.  In fact the term ‘passive house’ is now is a bit of a misnomer - rather, the key components of passive house (high performance envelope, mechanized ventilation, right-sized heating and cooling system) essentially work together to form a highly efficient machine. The benefits are extensive: healthier indoor air, lower energy bills, and resiliency to power outages and wildfire smoke.

Layer on further opportunities for electrification / decarbonization, battery back-up, and on-site energy generation (solar), and today’s passive house is an exemplar of modern sustainability.

PKA Studio leadership is certified in passive house design by Passive House Institute (PHI).  We look at passive house design as a way to build better and smarter, with applicability to a broad range of projects.   Accordingly, we integrate passive house principles into our best practices for all of our work as an architecture studio.