Passive House (Passivhaus) as applied to Heritage Buildings

Adapting and decarbonising existing buildings is essential in the race to slow global warming and the associated impacts of climate change. In the search for a sustainability framework that acknowledges the environmental benefits of conserving historic buildings, and one that complements best practice building conservation, this fellowship investigated the Passive House standard as applied to heritage places.

In completing the fellowship, the Fellow undertook:

• Training through the Canadian Passive House Institute

• Training through the Passive House Network (USA)

• Interviews with experts in Ireland and Canada; and

• Site visits to a Passive House building project in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia.

The Fellow found that despite some issues, the Passive House standard can be a sympathetic approach to decarbonising heritage places, particularly as the EnerPHit model acknowledges the challenges of working with existing buildings.