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.
SEE ALSO: Take BD+C’s free Passive House continuing education course, "Building Passively"
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.
Related Stories
Green | May 16, 2016
Development team picked for largest Passive House project in North America
The 24-story curved building would be 70% more efficient than comparable housing in New York City.
Multifamily Housing | May 12, 2016
Micro apartment complex planned for artsy Austin district
Indie Apartments will consist of 139 one- and two-bedroom units at 350- and 520-sf each.
Mixed-Use | May 1, 2016
A man-made lagoon with a Bellagio-like fountain will be the highlight of a mixed-use project outside Dallas
Construction will soon begin on housing, retail, and office spaces.
Senior Living Design | Apr 14, 2016
Creating a home for eldercare using the ‘Green House’ design concept
VOA Associates’ Douglas King offers design considerations in implementing the Green House concept in eldercare for continuing care retirement communities.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 7, 2016
Multifamily and Specialized Housing projects honored in 2016 AIA Housing Awards
A San Francisco low-income mixed-use complex, a Los Angeles homeless veterans housing facility, and a series of student residential buildings at UMass were among the winners.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 10, 2016
Access and energy control app clicks with student housing developers and managers
Ease of installation is one of StratIS’s selling features.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 7, 2016
Multifamily developers face steep costs for violating Fair Housing Act
Designers without previous multifamily experience could overlook key provisions.
High-rise Construction | Mar 3, 2016
HOK’s Hertsmere House will be Western Europe’s tallest residential tower
Recently approved for development, the 67-story building will have more than 900 units.
University Buildings | Feb 29, 2016
4 factors driving the student housing market
In the hyper-competitive higher education sector, colleges and universities view residence halls as extensions of their academic brands, both on and off campus.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 24, 2016
Senior housing sector experiences record-setting year, says CBRE
Senior housing occupancy is at its highest level since 2007, and 2015 was a record year for sales and institutional transactions, according to CBRE.
