Tiếng ViệtPassive architecture: fostering a sustainable future. Concerns about climate change and carbon emissions continue to grow, leading more governments, businesses, and policymakers to seek out contributions and solutions from the built environment.
JLG Architects’ Gorecki Alumni Center, the first LEED Platinum project in North Dakota
According to Architecture 2030, the built environment accounts for 42% of annual global carbon emissions. At the same time, experts predict that humanity’s most significant spike in building and infrastructure growth will roll out over the next 40 years.
This rapid wave of building expansion demands a new way of thinking about how structures are designed, built and operated.
Enter passive design—what some are calling the future of architecture.
An introduction to passive architecture
Passive architecture, also known as passive building design, is a design strategy that leverages natural resources—such as sunlight and wind—to create a comfortable, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly habitat.
This method reduces the need for traditional heating and cooling systems, reducing a building’s carbon footprint and overall impact on the climate.
While passive architecture first gained popularity during the 1970s United States energy crisis, it has since become a global movement, refined in Germany, and spreading to Scandinavia, Chile, and beyond.
Benjamin Banneker High School in Washington, DC, is a platinum LEED-certified building and the best energy-performing high school in the US. Image courtesy of Perkins Eastman.
Key pillars of passive architecture
Passive building embraces natural resources and local climate, following fundamental design principles. These strategies help achieve a high level of energy efficiency without compromising comfort. Ultimately, the aim is to create better buildings for people and the environment.
Here are some of the critical pillars of passive design:
Fabric-first buildings aim to be as air-tight as possible, enabling them to use far less energy for heating and cooling. The HVAC strategy ensures occupants experience comfortable temperatures and good air quality.
- Air-tight building envelopes prevent loss of conditioned air and minimize moisture.
- High-performance materials optimize the insulation of walls, windows, floors, and roofs while providing superior durability.
- Shade structures block direct sunlight to minimize glare and overheating.
- Glazing ratios and positions welcome or block the sun’s energy for heating and cooling.
- Building orientation optimizes natural exposure to daylight and reduces energy use.
- High thermal mass materials like concrete, stone and brick absorb heat throughout the day, balancing temperatures and allowing moisture recovery.
- Heat exchange systems ensure that desired indoor temperatures are maintained as fresh air is pulled.
The Passivhaus standard, created by Dr. Wolfgang Feist of Darmstadt, Germany, outlines the most stringent requirements for passive design. But other standards also promote green building practices, including the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system and the Swiss Confederation’s Minergie International.
The Iowa Nest home by Sterner Design, a net-zero energy single-family residence
Benefiting people and the planet: why embrace passive architecture
Passive architecture offers numerous benefits to building residents, businesses, governments, and the earth. For homeowners, passive design provides greater comfort, quality of living, and reduced energy bills. Meanwhile, it helps local governments and corporations achieve carbon emission goals.
Here are some of the top benefits of passive architecture, as outlined by the UK’s Passivehaus Trust.
1. Improved building performance
Passive design provides superior building performance across the board, including reduced energy consumption, more effective ventilation, and higher-quality construction. Passive homes are more resilient and less prone to damage — a benefit that becomes even more important in the wake of climate change and increased natural disasters.
2. Reduced carbon emissions
Scientists agree that carbon emissions must reach net zero by 2050 to maintain a livable climate. This transition is one of the most pressing challenges of our day—one that cannot be achieved without a massive infrastructure transformation. Passive design plays a vital role in the journey to net zero, helping to reduce carbon emissions and lower peak demand significantly.
3. Improved health and wellbeing
Poor indoor air quality can cause a wide range of health issues. While not a cure, passive architecture helps alleviate health impacts by providing better ventilation, reducing air pollutants, and harnessing daylight. Passive buildings are less likely to overheat in the summer or become too cold in the winter, improving the quality of life for inhabitants.
4. Increased cost savings
Passive buildings are more affordable to operate, but the financial benefits don’t stop there. They may also reduce fuel poverty, improve capital value, lower maintenance costs, and lower borrowing costs with green mortgages. Passive buildings are less likely to have rental void periods, and they hold value in the event of future carbon legislation.
The world-renowned Scion Innovation Hub in New Zealand, a carbon-zero building made entirely of timber. Image courtesy of RTA Studio.
Understanding common misconceptions about passive architecture
As passive architecture spreads in popularity, some misconceptions persist. Let’s debunk some of the most common myths:
1. Passive architecture is more expensive
Passive design isn’t necessarily more expensive than traditional building strategies.
Passive homes can cost from as little as $150 to $500 per square foot, depending on the quality of finishes, location, and other factors. A lower range than that of a non-passive design home.
However, operational costs are significantly lower than in traditional buildings, offering substantial cost savings on the total building lifecycle. One study found that passive design can reduce lifecycle costs by 12-52%, with payback periods starting as early as six months.
Thoughtful design can further reduce construction costs. Firms like Passive Design Solutions are designing passive homes at the same cost as traditional homes.
2. Passive architecture limits design
Passive buildings don’t have to be limited in design, scope, or aesthetics. From Villa A in Austria to the OutsideIN House in Chile, today’s passive homes range in scope from modern and traditional to avant-garde.
Commercial passive architecture is equally varied in style and complexity. The Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi and The Crystal in London are two examples of world-renowned sustainable design.
3. Passive architecture is only for residential buildings
Home certification programs like Built Green in Washington State are helping to accelerate the passive home movement in the U.S. But passive design isn’t just for residential buildings. Large-scale commercial projects like skyscrapers, hotels, and schools offer some of the greatest opportunities to reduce building energy use and make an impact with sustainable architecture.
Winthrop Center in Boston, the world’s largest Passive House office building, boasts certifications from Passivehaus, LEED Platinum, and WELL Gold. Similarly, the Solar XXI building in Lisbon, Portugal, uses a combination of passive design principles and renewable energy technologies to create a low-energy national laboratory.
Accelerate your green building designs with SketchUp
Passive architecture has the potential to completely transform how humans live, work, and thrive in harmony with the planet. It amplifies building performance, protects the planet’s resources, and provides elevated comfort and well-being.
Daylight analysis using SketchUp and Sefaira for a residential home. Image courtesy of Sterner Design.
Tools like PreDesign and Sefaira facilitate a seamless passive design process, offering early-stage analysis for better building performance. Agile and nimble enough to keep up with the pace of conceptual and schematic design, SketchUp continues to work on innovating advanced technology to support sustainability in architecture.
Ready to explore passive architecture and achieve design excellence? Try SketchUp today. Start a free trial or find the right subscription for your sustainable design and 3D modeling needs.
