To take on climate change, go passive

Climate change is not a fashionable topic in certain quarters these days, but it cannot be ignored and will only get worse unless those who can do something about it take action.

Since two-fifths of energy use in the U.S. can be attributed to buildings (including multifamily structures), the responsible parties in this case are building owners, facilities managers, property developers, architects, engineers, builders, and contractors. In other words, you and your professional colleagues.

PRESUMABLY, YOU’RE ALREADY DOING YOUR BIT
Maybe your firm has signed up for the AIA 2030 Commitment to eliminate carbon emissions in the buildings you design by 2030. Or you’re shooting higher and higher on your LEED for Homes projects. Or you’re certifying your apartment property with GreenPoint, or with the NAHB National Green Building Program. All commendable, but not enough. In general, those efforts will only yield an average energy savings of 20-25% over “conventional” construction, i.e., meeting minimum building energy code requirements. To make a real dent in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we need to be in the 50-75% range of energy savings for new construction.

MAY I SUGGEST A FRESH APPROACH?
If you haven’t looked seriously at “passive house” design and construction, you should. OK, I know. You’ve already got an image in your mind of a bearded guy in lederhosen holding a stein of beer, standing in front of a cute little cottage in the Bavarian Alps.

Passive house design and construction is anything but that; in fact, it started right here in the good ol’ USA. Passive house uses systems and building products you use every day. It employs techniques that are familiar to the construction trades. Most important, it relies on solid building science: Orient the building correctly to the sun. Seal it tight to halt air leaks that sap energy. Insulate the walls and roof to a “super” level. Use high-performance windows and doors.

Eliminate thermal bridges. Do these things right and you can save 80-90% on heat energy, 50% on cooling energy, for an average 50-70% total energy savings. That’s what you can get when you build “passively.”

PASSIVE HOUSE HAS SPECIAL APPLICATION TO MULTIFAMILY PROJECTS.
In addition to the energy savings (which are hardly trivial), apartment and condominium buildings built to passive house standards use quiet, low-volume air circulation systems that filter indoor air and enhance occupant comfort. That’s a nice payoff for doing the right thing.

To learn more about passive house (and gain 1.0 AIA HSW Learning Units or Professional Development Hours), go to BDCnetwork.com/building-passively-aia-course.

I hope “passive house” will be the start of a whole new professional adventure for you.

The Pittsburgh 2030 District, an alliance of property owners in the Pittsburgh area, says that it has reduced carbon emissions by 44.8% below baseline. Begun in 2012 under the guidance of the Green Building Alliance (GBA), the Pittsburgh 2030 District encompasses more than 86 million sf of space within 556 buildings.

Industry Research | Jun 15, 2023

Exurbs and emerging suburbs having fastest population growth, says Cushman & Wakefield

Recently released county and metro-level population growth data by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the fastest growing areas are found in exurbs and emerging suburbs.

Engineers | Jun 14, 2023

The high cost of low maintenance

Walter P Moore’s Javier Balma, PhD, PE, SE, and Webb Wright, PE, identify the primary causes of engineering failures, define proactive versus reactive maintenance, recognize the reasons for deferred maintenance, and identify the financial and safety risks related to deferred maintenance.

Mixed-Use | Jun 12, 2023

Goettsch Partners completes its largest China project to date: a mixed-used, five-tower complex

Chicago-based global architecture firm Goettsch Partners (GP) recently announced the completion of its largest project in China to date: the China Resources Qianhai Center, a mixed-use complex in the Qianhai district of Shenzhen. Developed by CR Land, the project includes five towers totaling almost 472,000 square meters (4.6 million sf).

Mixed-Use | Jun 6, 2023

Public-private partnerships crucial to central business district revitalization

Central Business Districts are under pressure to keep themselves relevant as they face competition from new, vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods emerging across the world’s largest cities.

Multifamily Housing | Jun 6, 2023

Minnesota expected to adopt building code that would cut energy use by 80%

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is expected to soon sign a bill that would change the state’s commercial building code so that new structures would use 80% less energy when compared to a 2004 baseline standard. The legislation aims for full implementation of the new code by 2036.

Student Housing | Jun 5, 2023

The power of student engagement: How on-campus student housing can increase enrollment

Studies have confirmed that students are more likely to graduate when they live on campus, particularly when the on-campus experience encourages student learning and engagement, writes Design Collaborative's Nathan Woods, AIA.

Image by Rebecca Moninghoff from Pixabay

Multifamily Housing | Jun 1, 2023

Income-based electric bills spark debate on whether they would harm or hurt EV and heat pump adoption

Starting in 2024, the electric bills of most Californians could be based not only on how much power they use, but also on how much money they make. Those who have higher incomes would pay more; those with lower incomes would see their electric bills decline - a concept known as income-based electric bills.

Multifamily Housing | May 30, 2023

Boston’s new stretch code requires new multifamily structures to meet Passive House building requirements

Phius certifications are expected to become more common as states and cities boost green building standards. The City of Boston recently adopted Massachusetts’s so-called opt-in building code, a set of sustainability standards that goes beyond the standard state code.