Designing, Redesigning, Creating Scopes - Architecture with the Passive House

„Enough of Passive House-Architecture“ was the title of Helmut Krapmeiers lecture at the 8th Conference on Passive Houses. Why then is a working group dealing with the topic of architecture again?

Theses:

There is no specific architecture for Passive Houses
This becomes evident if we take a look at different Passive House projects, built over the past years. Surely, it is too early to argue that all possible architectural styles can be found. But there is a wide range of them. If one or the other is still missing ( a deconstructive Passive House? On paper for sure, but in reality?), it has got nothing to do with Passive Houses but with a lack of opportunities.

The Passive House Standard creates scopes for architecture without determining the design
Solid buildings come with a certain, identifiable appearance – and so timber constructions do. Trying to conceal the typical character of a building is possible of course, without necessarily leading to bad architecture. A Passive House can be made using solid building or timber construction. Nothing needs to be concealed for the sake of the Passive House. In contrast to classical solar architecture, Passive Houses have no strict guidelines concerning alignment and the quantum of window surfaces. Is anyone regretting this? There is no need to. Even a classical Solar House can be a Passive House – and a good one, too.

There is more to architecture than outer appearance
...because each building fulfils a function as well, and that is to function. Surely, that is not all. Residents ought to feel at home. As Robert Hastings put it at the 8th Conference:
“Passive Houses need to be optimized in minimizing ecological damage and maximising the `joie de vivre`.“ Still not enough? No need to argue. There is only one claim we must not abandon: Functionality and `joie de vivre` need to be coherent .

	Amstetten - Poppe&Prehal		Dresden - Rentzsch
	Steyr - Proyer (Foto: archipicture)		Feldkirch - Unterrainer
	Ulm, Energon - Oehler		Waldshut  - Harter & Kanzler

Do architects use the existing scopes and opportunities? Is it possible to be creative on a large scale when designing Passive Houses? There will be two working groups to discuss these questions:

Working group No. V: Architecture - Theory and Practice
What are the limits to Passive House standard at the present time? Urban planners and architects show design examples to enlighten theory.

Working group No. XV: Architecture with the Passive House
This working group will focus on already existing Passive Houses. After the requisite know-how has been picked up by now, the technical side can take a back seat. Thereby not suggesting that Passive Houses have no technical requirements. It is merely a knowledge taken for granted in this working group.

Time schedule of the 10th International Conference on Passive Houses in Hannover

2006 February 1st:    Notification on acceptance of abstracts (done)
2006 March 1st:         Registration period for reduced fee ends
2006 March 15th:       Deadline for the written contributions of the preceedings

2006 May 19th and 20th   10. Conference on Passive Houses HCC Hannover with Exhibition on Passive House Components and manufacturers session

May 21st field trip to the most interesting Passive House projects and construction sites incl. refurbishment in the region near Hannover.

(updated:2006-01-31   © Passive House Institute PHI; this page might be reprinted if unchanged)

( picture credits: A R C H I P I C T U R E   Mag. Dietmar Tollerian  A-4020 Linz   archipicture@inode.at)

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Passive House Institute, Dr. Wolfgang Feist. mail@passiv.de.