This November, the proud designers, builders, developers, and owners behind these sustainable, healthy, and cost-effective Passivhaus homes are opening their doors to share the secrets of their success.

“The innovation, generosity, and passion of our members and the wider Passivhaus community are driving a quiet revolution in how Australians think about building performance and sustainable living,” says Stalin Chakrabarty, Australian Passivhaus Association.

“By opening their homes and projects and sharing their experiences, they’re showing that healthy, energy-efficient housing isn’t a niche idea for the future — it’s a practical, proven solution to our national housing and energy challenges.”

A record 33 homes and one commercial office will welcome guests for scheduled tours during this year’s International Passivhaus Open Days (IPOD) running over 7-9 November.

As the popularity for this global sustainable building standard grows, with applications for Passivhaus Certification in Australia growing by more than 80% in the last year, proud owners and trade professionals in ACT, NSW, QLD, SA, VIC and WA will run prebooked tours showcasing the systems, features and materials that enable Passivhaus buildings to deliver sustainable health benefits, whilst also reducing household costs and emissions.

Both public and trade are encouraged to visit the Passivhaus Association website to view suburb locations and book a tour spot (subject to availability) with full address details provided to confirmed guests two days prior to tours commencing.

Passivhaus was developed in the ‘90s in Germany as a set of specific set of building criteria to achieve the certified Passivhaus Standard.

The criteria, which are objectively measured during both construction and upon completion, centre around heating, cooling, renewable energy and airtightness and deliver myriad environmental, cost saving and health benefits.

The International Passivhaus Open Days are held once a year and are proudly supported by the Australian Passivhaus Association (APA), a not-for-profit organisation representing a community of more than 17,000 building industry professionals and suppliers across Australia.

Since 2013, the APA has championed education, advocacy, and technical support to grow Australia’s high-performance building sector.

“We invite everyone curious about how the Passivhaus Standard can transform comfort, wellbeing, and energy use to come along, meet the experts, and experience the Passivhaus difference for themselves,” says Chakrabarty.

Image: Ascot in Victoria / supplied

Clémence Carayol

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