Passivhaus High-Rise

Project Sectors I Project Gallery I Project Map

Tall buildings are often demonised as climate-destructive architecture and tend to be the worst offenders in terms of energy-guzzling & carbon-intensive structures. However, thanks to the favourable form factors, tall buildings lend themselves well to meeting Passivhaus standards.

Generally, the external surface area to internal volume produces an efficient shape (lower number) that requires less insulation to satisfy Passivhaus criteria. However, airtightness detailing, thermal bridging, & ventilation strategies all need far more care & attention. Still relatively rare – robust quality assurance is critical. Below is a selection of tall Passivhaus buildings (both newbuild & retrofit) from around the globe. Check the links under further information for useful reports & more.

Retrofit

Ageing post-war apartment towers, often providing affordable housing across the UK, increasingly face complex challenges that require repair. As we look towards a post-pandemic recovery amid a climate-challenged world, there’s an urgency to apply this type of holistic deep-retrofit thinking on a broader scale.