In the North American green buildings market, where LEED, BREEAM, WELL, Living Building Challenge, and Green Globes dominate the landscape, the German-born Passivhaus standard (aka, Passive House) has struggled to gain a solid foothold, despite a strong grassroots growth effort among its early adopters.
There are an estimated 60,000 buildings worldwide designed and built to Passivhaus standards, the vast majority in Europe. In the U.S., more than 1.1 million sf of building space is certified or pre-certified to PHIUS+ standards, according to the Passive House Institute US. But the lion’s share is small residential buildings.
A new study conducted by FXFOWLE and funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority set out to determine the viability of Passivhaus for tall residential buildings. The research involved investigating the feasibility of adapting the design of a sustainable mixed-use high-rise building in the 2016 New York City market to Passivhaus requirements. The base case building is a 593,000-sf, 26-story multifamily high-rise building in Queens that is targeting LEED v.3 Silver Certification and 20% energy cost savings from ASHRAE 90.1-2007. The study examined the impacts of achieving the standard from an architectural, enclosure detailing, mechanical, structural, constructability, resiliency, zoning, and code perspective.
FXFOWLE’s findings show promise for the niche standard. The technical difficulties of meeting the stringent energy efficiency and insulation standards can be overcome with minimal aesthetic changes and a glazing ratio of up to 40%, according to the report’s authors, Ilana Judah, Intl. Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Director of Sustainability, and Daniel Piselli, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Associate, both with FXFOWLE.
From a financial perspective, the Passivhaus design represents an increased capital cost of 2.4%, a 40-year net present value of $5.2 million, and a payback of 24 years as compared to the base case building.
“The multifamily project type and scale are favorable to meet Passivhaus requirements due to controllable internal heat gains and low enclosure to volume ratios,” the authors wrote. “Some code and regulatory requirements conflict with Passivhaus strategies, and these must be aligned to enable implementation.”
Related Stories
Green | Aug 16, 2018
Vertical gardens: Wellness oases in the urban jungle
When there’s only so much real estate available in urban centers for parks, how’s a developer to bring in more green with biophilic design?
Green | Aug 15, 2018
What if your neighborhood could make you healthier?
The WELL Community Standard equips planners to build health promotion into the very fabric of neighborhoods.
Green | Jul 26, 2018
St. Paul aims for zero carbon in all buildings by 2050
The city is working for better efficiency and sourcing green power to reach its goal.
Green | Jul 26, 2018
DOE releases updated version of Better Buildings Financing Navigator
Version 2.0 provides renewable energy financing options, sector-specific and location-specific financing resources, and a smart database of financing providers.
Green | Jul 24, 2018
Cincinnati’s green approach to sewer discharge expected to save $100 million
Environmentally strategy does have its limits, though.
Codes and Standards | Jul 17, 2018
NIMBYism, generational divide threaten plan for net-zero village in St. Paul, Minn.
The ambitious redevelopment proposal for a former Ford automotive plant creates tension.
Sponsored | Energy Efficiency | Jul 2, 2018
Going solar has never been easier
There is an efficient system for mounting solar panels to roofs and turning roof real estate into raw power.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 27, 2018
To take on climate change, go passive
If you haven’t looked seriously at “passive house” design and construction, you should.
Accelerate Live! | Jun 24, 2018
Watch all 19 Accelerate Live! talks on demand
BD+C’s second annual Accelerate Live! AEC innovation conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago) featured talks on AI for construction scheduling, regenerative design, the micro-buildings movement, post-occupancy evaluation, predictive visual data analytics, digital fabrication, and more. Take in all 19 talks on demand.
Office Buildings | Jun 15, 2018
Portland’s newest office buildings put nature on center stage
Hacker Architects designed the space for Portland’s Frontside District.