The only consistency among each of the proj-ects discussed in this ar�cle is in their incon-sistency of design approach and resul�ngaesthe�c effect. The passive house approachis neither limited by building func�on nor cli-mate as will be seen below. The first ever cer-�fied passive house was built almost two

decades ago, crea�ng a legacy of some 30,000projects in all corners of the globe. This ar�clepresents some of my favourite passive houseprojects, most of which I’ve had the greatpleasure of experiencing in person. The proj-ects described below include an interna�onalaward winning mul�-family residence, a re-

laxed and rolling Montessori school, a massiveoffice project complete with kine�c effect, amodel of simplicity in single family home de-sign in the US, Asian innova�on achieved inJapan with a strong Irish connec�on, and anOlympic village project in Austria. I hope youenjoy the selec�on.

PASSIVE HOUSE DESIGN COMES OF AGEBox-like, small windows, primary colour renders - there is a common misconcep�on that building to the passivehouse standard involves sacrificing design freedom for the sake of thermal performance. Not so, argues passivehouse guru Tomás O’Leary of MosArt and the Irish Passive House Academy, as his selec�on of architecturally diversebuildings reveals.

INTERNATIONAL SELECTION:

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This project lays claim to the enviable status ofbeing the inaugural winner of the 2010 Interna-�onal Passive House Architecture Awards (‘Ar-chitekturpreis’) run in parallel with the globalPassive House Conference. Unlike the conferencewhich runs annually, the awards will take placeevery three years so this project will rest at the topfor another two years or so. This 2006 project wasdesigned by Halle 58 Architects in Bern and com-prises a mul�-family ‘house’ with three apartments.

What is striking about this project is the sheerextent of floor to ceiling glazing, which pro-vides a light airy feeling both internally and ex-ternally while also achieving incredible comfortand miniscule hea�ng bills. The design approach

dismisses any misconcep�ons there might beabout the need for heavy opaque elements withwindows limited to south-facing facades. Externalretractable shades as well as thermal mass in thefloors protect against overhea�ng – the shadesadding a dynamic effect to the façade. The in-ternal layout is completely open plan providingthe tenants with opportuni�es for flexibility insubdivision and adaptability over �me.

The roof is stacked with both solar thermal as wellas photovoltaic panels and auxiliary hea�ng isprovided by a wood pellet boiler feeding anunderfloor radiant system. This project is not justpassive house standard, therefore, but closeto being a carbon neutral project too. �

Award winning house, Liebefeld, Switzerland

interna�onal

(left) The winner of the 2010 International Pas-sivhaus Architecture Awards is a three-apartmentbuilding on the outskirts of Bern, Switzerland;(above) the green roof is stacked with both solarthermal and photvoltaic panels; (below) externalwooden shades protect against overheating; (bot-tom) over half the facade consists of floor to ceilingglazing which provides plenty of daylight and alight airy feeling

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This wonderful school project is one of my all-�mefavourite passive house buildings, quite simplybecause it breaks most of the preconceived expecta-�ons people have about this exac�ng perform-ance standard. The two-storey school is locatedclose to Munich on the fringes of a small se�lementand set in the context of fer�le farmland. The grassroof of the school undulates in form, eventuallyrolling down and running into the fields below. Thelandscape and building thus seamlessly convergewith the use of this magic carpet, both changing withthe shi�ing seasons. The building also curves in plan,on both northern and southern eleva�ons.

The architect, Gernot Vallen�n, beams proudly

that the building cost no more to build thanconven�onal construc�on, achieved throughthe use of some very clever design gestures. Oneof these is the use of what might be describedas ‘cen�pede’ legs which facilitate fire-escapestairs connec�ng each of the upstairs classroomswith the garden below. Use of such stairs ob-viated the need for costly fire protec�on meas-ures – and the money saved was spent insteadon the thermal envelope.

Expansive rooflights punctuate the rolling roof,providing ample natural daylight onto the centralcorridor below. Herr Vallen�n describes this corri-dor as a kind of streetscape, from which you can look

through ‘shop windows’ to the flanking classrooms.The street and esplanade above are expressed inpolished concrete, a clever design which achievesthe thermal mass necessary in passive house schoolsin order to modulate temperature fluctua�ons.

This project illustrates that the passive housestandard clearly does not require a Rubik’s Cubedesign approach, but in fact leaves ample roomfor organic expression. The high air quality inpassive house schools is well reported andsome ci�es including Frankfurt have mandatedthis approach as the base standard for allschool projects. Two passive house schools arecurrently under construc�on in Ireland. �

Montessori school, Munich, Germany

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(opposite) This passive house montes-sori school, near Munich, breaks mostof the preconceived expectations peo-ple have of this exacting standard;(top) the upper floor receives plenty ofnatural light through the expansiverooflights that punctuate the undulat-ing green roof (above, right andbelow), which eventually rolls down toconverge with the fields below

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This office project in Ulm designed by StefanOehler, measures approximately 5,700 squaremetres and at the �me of construc�on was thebiggest passive house building on the planet.On visi�ng this project 18 months ago on a hotsummer’s day, I was fascinated by the kine�ceffect created by the external blinds winkingand blinking as the sun rotated around thebuilding. When a given façade is in full sun, thebo�om two-thirds sec�on of the blinds auto-ma�cally close, reducing solar gain and the riskof overhea�ng (a poten�al concern in officesdue to the high internal heat loads). As facadescome into shadow, the blinds open fully againallowing natural dayligh�ng into the offices.

The footprint of the building is best describedas a convexly curving triangle, enclosing a brightand airy central atrium. A centerpiece in theatrium is provided by a series of the blue per-forated columns which deliver almost 30,000cubic metres of fresh air per hour. These wind-pipes breathe life and health into the offices andexpress one of the core elements of the pas-sive house, namely heat recovery ven�la�on.

In sec�on, the facades also curve in form, andfrom some aspects resemble a giant ocean liner.This concept is perfectly fi�ng for a passive housebuilding, which provides a steady indoor climatethrough the year irrespec�ve of what weather

condi�ons are thrown at it. Passive house proj-ects are hard to throw off course, no ques�on.

At the �me of visi�ng this project, the en�refacility was fully occupied with happy long-termtenants enjoying the full benefits of all that thepassive house standard has to offer. Vacancyrates in the surrounding business park wererunning at 30 to 40%, rendering this project agreat investment. Incredibly the project wasbuilt at zero addi�onal cost, with payback kick-ing in on day one. This project provides an ex-cellent example of how the passive housestandard can be achieved at any scale and anydesign form. �

(above right) An external view of the Energon office building in Ulm, Germany, which at the time of construction was the biggest passive house buildingin the world; (above left and below) the large glass-covered five-storey atrium forms the centre of the building and provides ventilation and natural light,as well as acting as an informal meeting place

Energon office building, Ulm, Germany

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The passive house standard is now truly a globalphenomenon, and this project is the first cer-�fied passive house in New York, a climate whichpresents the double-whammy challenge of verycold winters and scorching humid summers. Similarto a thermos flask, Dennis Wedlick’s design keeps theindoor climate cool in summer and warm in winter.

What I most like about this single family resi-dence is its u�er simplicity in form and design,which in turn helped achieve the passive housestandard with graceful ease. The structure ofthe home consists of A-shaped laminated beamsexternally insulated with SIP panels. The clever

detailing required to deliver this construc�onmethod resulted in what might possibly be aworld-record level of air�ghtness, at around0.15 air changes per hour at 50 pascals. (ed. –Tim O’Donovan’s house in Timoleague achieved0.11 ACH – as featured in issue two, volumefive of Construct Ireland)

The en�re southern façade is glazed but thereis no risk of overhea�ng in summer due to thedeep overhang. The building is thus a manifestexpression of clever solar design, an approachwhich has a long history in the US. The main livingspace is double height and the lo�ed ceilings in

combina�on with exposed beams and fullyglazed gable create a light filled effect. Externalfinishes predominantly include the natural ma-terials of roof shingles and rock cladding, whichhelp to integrate the building into its surroundsin this rural part of upstate New York.

We have recently used this building as a case studyin our training courses in New York, especiallyin the applica�on of the Passive House Plan-ning Package. Architecturally, the project is theepitome of simplicity and provides an excellentreference case when faced with achieving sus-tainable design in both hot and cold climates. �

interna�onal

(above) The Hudson Passive Project is the first certified passive house in New York, and provides an excellent example of achieving sustainable designin both hot and cold climates; (below) the house was inspired by the old stone barns common to the region and features an open, loft-like floor plan. Thedouble height, lofted ceilings in combination with exposed beams and fully glazed gable create a light filled effect

Hudson passive project, Hudson Valley, New York

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This passive house project was built in Kamakura,near Tokyo, in Japan and designed by MiwaMori of Key Architects. This is the first cer�fiedpassive house in Japan, a hugely challengingsub-tropical climate in terms of both annualtemperature swing and humidity. Other chal-lenges faced on a daily basis by Japanese ar-chitects include the threat of termites as wellas earthquakes. We don’t know how lucky weare here in Ireland.

This project won joint second prize in the 2010Interna�onal Passive House ArchitecturalAwards, well deserved due to its simplicity ofform and clever use of a limited site area interms of indoor and outdoor living. Sleepingquarters are provided on the ground floor,with living and dining upstairs making the mostof natural daylight and views over a nearbywooded valley. A discrete metal stairs con-nects the living space with an enclosed roo�op

terrace. The project makes the very best of thesite, therefore, and is a model of how compact-ness need not compromise quality of life.

In terms of form and aesthe�c, the home ap-pears as a tall wooden crate, clad in charcoaledcedar and with holes punched mostly in thetop floor to make the best of elevated views.The contemporary design provides a wonder-ful contrast to the tradi�onal neighbourhoodarchitecture and illustrates that passive housescan fit in any context and in any climate.

Miwa Mori, the Architect for this award win-ning project, worked at MosArt Architects inWicklow where she learned the principles ofpassive house design. I had the great pleasureof reconnec�ng with Miwa at the Passive HouseConference in Innsbruck and it’s clear that she isbringing innova�on to Japan in terms of sus-tainable architecture. �

Kamakura passive house, Japan

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(top, above middle) Theopen plan kitchen andentrance hall; (above)the home appears as atall wooden crate; (right)a mock-up of the exter-nal wall; (left) an aerialview showing the dis-crete metal stairs thatconnects the living spacewith an enclosed rooftopterrace

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I recently visited this project as part of an ex-cursion tour whilst a�ending the Passive HouseConference in Innsbruck. This development –with 13 apartment blocks comprising a total of444 apartments – was designed by Eck & ReiterArchitects and din a4. Set in a plain created by theTyrolean mountainscape, the apartments quiteliterally gli�er in the sunshine and provide awonderful example of the massive poten�alfor building large scale mul�-residen�al proj-ects to the passive house standard.

The high-tech finishes used to clad these shinycubes appear to change colour depending onthe angle of view and direc�on of sunlight. Youreyes are deceived as you walk through the schemeand the effect is quite amazing – those cleverAustrians, combining cost-effec�ve passive houseconstruc�on techniques with wonderful aes-the�c effects. The buildings are crisp, �ght, su-perbly detailed and perfectly fit for purpose as

a village for the 2012 Youth Olympics. The glaz-ing arrangement is slightly different for eachblock ensuring alterna�ng characters but alsoreflec�ng the varying need for solar gain orshading. The lucky Olympians can come back andrelax in high comfort and excellent air qualitya�er a day of exer�on on the slopes, and the heat-ing bills are so �ny for each apartment that itsimply doesn’t pay to install meters for billing.

Inside, the apartments are light and bright, andmany of them have a modest private balconyproviding stunning views of the surroundingsnow-capped mountains. The whole complexto my mind resembles a cluster of ice cubes carvedfrom the glaciers above, glin�ng in the sun andweathering the winter blizzards with ease. I le�truly inspired and confident that passive househas a great future. Why would you build toanything less than passive house, I asked my-self – it makes no sense.

03 Olympic Village, Tyrol, Austria

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(above) The new apartment complex for the 2012 Youth Winter Olympic Games demonstrate the potential for building to the passive house standard ona large scale; (below right) the development consists of 13 apartment blocks, comprising a total of 444 apartments which change colour in the sunlightdue to their high-tech cladding (below left) inside, the apartments are light and bright, and many have private balconies with stunning mountain views

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