Examples

The Passive House Standard, being a quality standard, dictates no particular methods of construction. Whether solid construction, wood or composite - architects can design Passive Houses according to their own preferences. Even manufacturers of prefabricated houses are offering Passive House designs. The versatile Passive House Standard is also increasingly being used in retrofits as well as for non-residential buildings such as schools, administrative buildings, manufacturing plants and hotels. As the Passive House concept is based on physical principles, each building can and should be adapted to its particular climate.

With over 37,000 Passive Houses in use worldwide (as of 2012), the Passive House Standard is rapidly spreading all over the world. As of today, Passive Houses have been built in nearly all European countries (see map), the United States, Canada, and Japan – to mention but a few. And this number is on the rise!

The following pages feature a variety of best practice examples for both residential and non-residential Passive House buildings.

Map of European countries where Passive Houses have been built

Residential buildings

Non-residential buildings

Passive House retrofits

A selection of examplary Passive House projects, recognised for their outstanding design in the 2010 Passive House Architecture Award, are documented in the photographic volume “1st Passive House Architecture Award – the Finalists” featuring the 10 award winners and the 14 finalists.

Download a preview of the book

More information on the book can be found on the iPHA website.