What is a Passive House?

A passive house is a house that is warm in winter and cool in the summer naturally.

How does it work?

Our passive houses use their perimeter as an energy-harvesting surface. There are two elements that compose the energy-harvesting perimeter:

• Trombe Walls
• Green house.

What are trombe walls?

Tombe walls are glazed walls that generate elavate interior temperatures by convection. Convection work by changing the velocity of air currents according to the pressure changes. This means that the trombe walls drive air currents with high temperature toward the interior of the house providing a pleasant temperature through a natural and effective process.

Similarly, the cold air currents go outside ventilating the home.

Green House: Will I be living with my tomatoes and zucchini all winter?

The green house element works in the same way as the green houses used in agriculture, however this space is completely habitable. Our green house component is an indoor space enclosed by glass that protrudes from the house. It uses the same principle of convection heat which heats the green house and also heat to the rest of the home.

So does this mean all summer long the green house will continue to heat my home?

NO, the green house insolates the home. Like a conventional home, close the curtains during the day in the summer and the house remains cool. Unlike a conventional home, the insolating effect of the green house actually works to cool the rest of the house. Simply put, the house is warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Other Design Features

Another important design feature is the perimeter of the home. The perimeter of a passive house is key design element that we utilize to capture solar energy. We design homes custom to each geographical region and specific terrain that optimize the time the trombe walls and green house are exposed to the sun.