Passivhaus Certified Architects

Through airtight design and insulation calculated for the site’s specific location and environmental conditions, a Passivhaus remains a consistent temperature all year round and stays cosy (or cool) regardless of what the weather is like outside.

Highly efficient ventilation and heat recovery systems ensure fresh, filtered air is constantly being drawn into the buidling while stale air and moisture is always going out.

With little to no additional heating or cooling required, you get the ongoing benefit of lower energy bills for life. Incorporating solar panels into your build also offers the potential for further savings and off-grid living.

There are few limits to how a Passivhaus building can look. From contemporary family homes to urban apartments, schools and offices to off-grid rural dwellings, Passivhaus buildings can be designed to suit any style and use.

A Passivhaus is a legacy. A well designed and purpose-built Passivhaus will be durable and reliable, providing a healthy living environment for generations and delivering ongoing value.

Through energy savings, waste reduction, a smaller ecological footprint, and regenerative architectural practices, living in a Passivhaus can leave a positive mark on the planet.

A Passivhaus is something to love and be proud of! They represent an ethos of care and consideration for yourself and the people around you – and they feel fantastic to live and work in!

A guide for planning and building a Passivhaus

When you’re designing a home or building, it’s easy to get carried away with what looks good. But it’s essential to create something that feels good. It is possible to create a space that’s not just beautiful, but cares for you. That’s where Passivhaus comes in…

Choose health, comfort and quality

A certified Passivhaus home is supremely comfortable and healthy. It’s 20–22°C inside, all year round, in every room. The air is always fresh. The house is always dry. It’s an environment where you don’t have to worry – you can just get on with life.

How does it feel?

Passivhaus builds are calm, quiet, and peacful spaces. The temperature is consistent – no cold spots, no freezing bathrooms, no need to close doors to “keep the heat in.” The air feels fresh, like springtime, but there are no draughts, no pollen, no irritants. While you go about your day, the home is quietly taking care of ventilation for you.

Want to experience it for yourself?

Talk to us and we’ll arrange a visit to a local Passivhaus.

Resilience in a changing climate

Passivhaus homes are built to buffer against climate extremes. They use up to 90% less energy for heating and cooling compared with homes built to minimum code. If the power goes out, temperatures stay stable longer.

Better air, better health

A Passivhaus is a refuge for people with asthma and hayfever. The ventilation system constantly filters out dampness, smoke, exhaust fumes, odours, and other pollutants and iritants.

Gentler on the planet

Energy use in buildings contributes to a lot of unnecessary carbon emissions. A Passivhaus home is a powerful way to reduce your footprint. And if you choose Passivhaus Plus or Premium, your building can also produce renewable energy onsite.

Any building can be Passivhaus

Homes, apartments, hospitals, schools, fire stations, offices – Passivhaus works for all of them. Around the world, thousands of buildings have been certified or guided by Passivhaus principles.

Expect more

Passivhaus certification is rigorous. It’s not a label, but a promise. Verified airtightness, energy use, temperature, and air quality; you either meet the standard, or you don’t. Certification gives you confidence that your home will perform.

What sets Passivhaus apart

You’ll notice the quality of the windows and doors. You’ll see the discreet ventilation system. But the real magic is in the energy modelling (done during design, not after). Every step in the Passivhaus process is intentional. Every decision is evaluated. Every detail matters.

Key elements of every Passivhaus

• Excellent insulation: A continuous cocoon tailored to your climate zone.
• Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR): Fresh air comes in, stale air goes out – quietly and efficiently.
• Airtight building envelope: Keeps warmth in and moisture out.
• High-performance windows and doors: Triple-glazing, thermal breaks, and condensation-free comfort.
• Minimised thermal bridges: No sneaky pathways for heat to escape.

Design matters

Energy modelling allows flexibility. Whether your site faces north or not, whether you’re in a city or rural setting, Passivhaus works with your design – not against it. And it’s almost always easier, faster, and cheaper to make changes at the design stage than to fix problems later.

Passivhaus retrofits

Most of the homes that will still exist in 50 years have already been built. That’s where EnerPHit comes in. This is the Passivhaus standard for retrofitting; it’s a little less stringent, but still transformative. Retrofits require careful planning and energy modelling but, when done right, they can be just as powerful as new builds.

Passivhaus + other certifications

Passivhaus works beautifully alongside other sustainability frameworks like Homestar and the Living Building Challenge. It’s the perfect opportunity to incorporate features such as:

• Low embodied carbon
• Locally sourced materials
• Rainwater harvesting
• Recycled materials
• Prefabricated components
• Design for ageing in place

Passivhaus and building consents

Passivhaus certification doesn’t replace NZ Building Code compliance – it complements it. As your architectural designer, we can provide all documentation and support for the consent process.

Affordability and value

You don’t need a bigger budget to build a Passivhaus — just better planning. The key is to commit and get certified professionals involved early. We can advise simple strategies to amend your project to easier meet Passivhaus standards, including:

• Simplifying the building shape
• Reducing the physical footprint
• Rethinking kitchen and bathroom budgets
• Prioritising performance over unnecessary extras

Four key stages of a Passivhaus project

1. Concept design: Orientation, shading, and form.
2. Design review: Independent certifier checks the energy model.
3. Construction review: Site observations, material checks, and testing.
4. Final certification: Verified performance, plaque, and certificate.

Want to build a place that looks good, feels good, and does good?

This is where you begin.

Explore our Passivhaus projects