What Is a Passive Building and How Can It Contribute to Decarbonizing Architecture?

Sustainable construction certifications can play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by establishing solid criteria to foster ecologically responsible practices in the construction industry. They not only give public visibility to industry-accepted standards and monitor performance, ensuring compliance with regulations, but also stimulate the reduction of negative environmental impacts while rewarding buildings that fulfill strict sustainability standards. By establishing higher levels of excellence in projects and constructions, these certifications influence the evolution of construction codes, training professionals, and even changing corporate strategies.

More specifically, the movement towards passive buildings has its roots in Germany, where the Passivhaus Institute formalized these principles in 1996. The central concept is to create a habitable or working space that requires a minimum amount of external energy to regulate its temperature, making it highly sustainable and economically viable in the long run. Essentially, this balance is achieved through a combination of key elements, including high-quality insulation for walls, ceilings and foundation; the construction of a hermetic envelope that avoids losses and minimizes air leaks; the use of high-performance windows and doors that eliminate thermal bridges; heat recovery ventilation systems; solar gain considerations, as well as efficient solutions for space heating and cooling; and power modeling and design optimization. These principles can be applied to all buildings, including single-family houses, multifamily buildings, schools, skyscrapers, and more.

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