Passive Rowhouse Manual: Summer 2021 Release!

Rendering by Alex Bruce.

If you are looking to renovate a rowhome as sustainably as possible, then you will want to know about the soon-to-be-released Passive Rowhouse Manual. The Manual is coming to you from the Philadelphia-based Passive House Community of Green Building United. You may have connected with this community before at the annual New Gravity Housing Conference or one of Green Building United’s ongoing educational and networking events. Meetings and events are currently happening remotely, and all are welcome to join!

The Passive Rowhouse Manual is geared toward developers, contractors, and other professionals who have general familiarity or technical expertise in the Passive House standard. Specifically, the Manual provides guidance for the renovation of residential rowhouses using sustainable and renewable energy technologies, materials, practices, and procedures. Each chapter is focused on a topic specific to Passive House design and construction, from determining whether Passive House is feasible for your project, all the way through to testing and verifying for Passive House certification.

This first-of-its-kind document is designed to complement the many existing Passive House resources currently available, and should be used in tandem with the facilitation of a Passive House consultant.

Construction and renovation guidance within the Manual was informed and supported by data garnered from a series of charrettes, known as the Passive Rowhouse Demonstration Project, which were conducted throughout 2018 and 2019 to explore the feasibility of renovating existing Philadelphia rowhouses to achieve the Passive House standard. The team learned a lot during the span of those charrettes and is now eager to share those lessons and best practices. Throughout the Manual, real-world, under-construction projects from these charrettes are provided to illustrate concepts and strategies. Recommendations are also backed by years of Passive House Community members’ experiences working on personal and professional Passive House projects, as well as general design and construction projects.

Green Building United is scheduled to release the Passive Rowhouse Manual in early summer 2021, which will coincide with a public event that all are invited to attend. Future case studies will be developed to supplement the Manual as well.

The Manual is made possible through support from Sustainable Energy Fund, 475 High Performance Building Supply, INTUS Windows, Kitchen & Associates, MaGrann Associates, McDonald Group, SIGA, and STEGO Industries.

If you want to be the first to hear about the Manual’s release, please sign up for Green Building United’s Passive House Community e-news.