Passive Projects Design Competition

Submissions for the 2026 Phius Passive Projects Design Competition are due by Aug. 21.

Get Your Project Recognized

Winners of the 2026 Phius Passive Projects Design Competition will be announced during the PhiusCon 2026 opening plenary Oct. 9 in Phoenix. The juried competition recognizes Phius Certified passive building projects of all types in all climate zones.

Submit an Entry

View Sample Entry Form

Competition Details

Awards will be presented to winners in the following categories:
- Single-Family
- High-rise Multifamily (5 stories and above)
- Low-rise Multifamily
- Affordable
- Commercial/Institutional
- Source Zero
- Retrofit
Additionally, two projects from the above winners will be awarded:
- Best Overall Project of this year’s competition
- Best Project by a Young Professional (CPHC 35 or younger)
- Submitters of winning entries will receive one full year of Alliance membership (existing members will be extended by one year)
- Winning projects will be featured in follow-up coverage of the conference by Green Building & Design magazine
- Phius will feature winning entries as case studies on their website
- Phius will publicize winners via social media, e-newsletters, and press outlets
- Image of Best Overall Project will be featured on the Phius website homepage
Entries will be judged on the following criteria:
- Performance (e.g., meets Phius Certified standard, better than standard, crushes the standard)
- Difficulty level (climate/site/location/requirements challenges)
- Cost-effectiveness
- Design (e.g., smart use of space)
- Craftsmanship
- Health (e.g., use of non-toxic materials)
- Register using this application form
- Complete the online application form (we recommend that you review the form here and assemble the required information prior to completing the form).
*Phius employees and board members may not enter their own projects into the competition; however, other project team members/firms are eligible to enter a project. Projects with a Phius board member as CPHC are eligible to apply.
Phius and the Phius Alliance have assembled a panel of five jurors (listed below), each of whom meets two of the following three criteria:
1. CPHC®, Phius Certified Builder, Phius Certified Rater or Phius Certified Verifier in good standing
2. Completion of at least one Phius Certified project
3. Licensed professional

Meet the Jurors

Below are the esteemed jurors for the 2025 Phius Passive Projects Design Competition.

Jen Grosso

Board Vice President; Director of Architecture, Alloy Development

Jeff Geisinger

Associate Principal, Director of Sustainable Design at Utile

David Brubaker

President of Brubaker Architects

Morgan Law

Founding Principal & Design Director of Shape Architecture Studio

Katrin Klingenberg

Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director

2025 Winners

Below are the projects that were recognized with awards in the 2025 Phius Passive Projects Design Competition

Best Overall Project

Betty Greene Apartments | Boston, Massachusetts

Architect: Utile; CPHC: Utile - Jeff Geisinger; Builder: Bald Hill Builders; QA/QC: New Ecology - Mark Norton; Owner/Developer: Urban Edge

Project Listing

Single-Family Winner

Spark Side | Durham, New Hampshire

Architect: Kaplan Thompson Architects; CPHC: Kai Fast, Kaplan Thompson Architects; Builder: Haven Hill Builders; QA/QC: Joe Rando, GDS Associates; Owner/Developer: Andrew and Christina Coppens

Project Listing

Single-Family Honorable Mention

Stow Passive House | Stow, Massachusetts

Architect: ZeroEnergy Design; CPHC: Jordan Goldman (ZED); Builder: Star Contracting Company; QA/QC: Michael Browne (Advanced Building Analytics); Owner/Developer: Private Residence

Project Listing

Source Zero Winner

The Pierce at 7 Van Buren | Oak Park, Illinois

Architect: Ware Malcomb; CPHC: TBDA; Builder: Synergy Construction Group / Cullen CM (Construction Management); QA/QC: Eco-Achievers; Owner/Developer: Oak Park Residence Corporation

Project Listing

Source Zero Honorable Mention

Saint Clair | Studio City, California

Architect: Aramyan Kovacs Design; CPHC: Kyle Kovacs; Builder: Kovacs Design Build; QA/QC: John Tao

Project Listing

High-Rise Multifamily Winner

J.J. Carroll House | Boston, Massachusetts

Architect: MASS Design Group; CPHC: Spencer Gorman, Daniel Perez and Frank Stone; Builder: Dellbrook | JKS; QA/QC: Cody Wero; Owner/Developer: Owner: 2Life JJ Carroll LLC Developer: 2Life Communities

Project Listing

High-Rise Multifamily Honorable Mention

Betty Greene Apartments | Boston, Massachusetts

Project Listing

Low-Rise Multifamily Winner

1005 Broadway | Chelsea, Massachusetts

Architect: Utile; CPHC: Utile - Jeff Geisinger and Alex Davis; Builder: Haycon; QA/QC: Sustainable Comfort, Inc. - Greg Downing; Owner/Developer: Causeway Development & The Neighborhood Developers

Project Listing

Low-Rise Multifamily Honorable Mention

Front Street Building 2 | Portland, Maine

Architect: Utile; CPHC: Utile - Jeff Geisinger; Builder: Zachau Construction; QA/QC: Advanced Building Analysis - Michael Browne; Owner/Developer: Portland Housing Authority

Project Listing

Affordable Housing Winner

Betty Greene Apartments | Boston, Massachusetts

Project Listing

Affordable Housing Honorable Mention

Conservatory Apartments | Chicago, Illinois

Architect: Susan F. King/HED; CPHC: Tom Boeman/Boeman Design; Builder: Henry Brothers Construction; QA/QC: Eco Achievers; Owner/Developer: Interfaith Housing Development Corporation

Project Listing

Retrofit Winner

The Bank Lofts | Richfield Springs, New York

Architect: Juhee Lee-Hartford, River Architects PLLC; CPHCs: Di W. George, River Architects PLLC and Juhee Lee-Hartford, River Architects PLLC; Builder: Josh Edmonds, Simple Integrity, LLC; QA/QC: Troy Hodas, Spruce Mountain Inc; Owner/Developer: Dooalot, LLC

Project Listing

Retrofit Honorable Mention

Phius Zero Historic Retrofit | Oak Park, Illinois

Architect: TBDA; CPHC: TBDA; Builder: Bosi Construction; QA/QC: Eco-Achievers

Project Listing

Commercial/Institutional Winner

The Academy for Global Citizenship | Chicago, Illinois

Architect: SNMG A Ltd. / Associate Architect: Farr Associates; CPHCs: Al Mitchell & Leonard Sciarra; Builder: Power Construction; QA/QC: Baumann Consulting / EcoAchievers; Owner/Developer: Cultivate Collective

Project Listing

Commercial/Institutional Honorable Mention

The Bush School - Upper School | Seattle, Washington

Architect: Mithun; CPHC: Daniel Luddy, CPHC / PAE Consulting Engineers; Builder: Exxel Pacific, Inc.; QA/QC: Chris Edlin / O'Brien360; Owner/Developer: The Bush School

Project Listing

Best Project by a Young Professional (35 or under)

J.J. Carroll House | Boston, Massachusetts

Project Listing

Award for Public Space Excellence

Mount Vernon Library Commons | Mount Vernon, Washington

Architect: HKP Architects, PLLC; CPHCs: Julie Blazek and Julie Kreigh; Builder: Lydig Construction; QA/QC: Balderston Associates/Tom Balderston; Owner/Developer: City of Mount Vernon

Project Listing

Student Housing Recognition

Meadows Neighborhood Student Housing | West Windsor, New Jersey

Architect: Mithun; CPHC: Thornton Tomasetti; Builder: Hunter Roberts Construction Group; QA/QC: SGH; Owner/Developer: The Trustees of Princeton University / American Campus Communities

Project Listing

International Recognition

Edogawa Passive House | Tokyo, Japan

Architect: Tosho Juken Co., Ltd.; CPHC: Kazumasa Tsushima; Builder: Tosho Juken Co., Ltd.; QA/QC: Sayo Okada

Project Listing

Recognition for Excellence in Urban Renewal

Evanston's First Passive House | Evanston, Illinois

Architect: Nathan Kipnis, FAIA | Kipnis Architecture + Planning; Builder: Scott and Larry Berliant | Berliant Builders, Inc.; CPHC: Scott Farbman CPHC | db|HMS; QA/QC: Eco Achievers; Owner/Developer: Margaret Stender

Project Listing

Student Design Recognition

Alley House | Indianapolis, Indiana

Architect: Ball State University Students and Faculty; CPHCs: Walter Grondzik and Anne Rendaci; Builder: Cedar Street Builders with Ball State University; QA/QC: David Horton; Owner/Developer: Englewood Community Development Corporation

Project Listing

Award Categories

Awards

Eligibility

Criteria

How to Enter

Deadline for Entry

Awards Announcement

Jurors

Best Overall Project

Single-Family Winner

Single-Family Honorable Mention

Source Zero Winner

Source Zero Honorable Mention

High-Rise Multifamily Winner

High-Rise Multifamily Honorable Mention

Low-Rise Multifamily Winner

Low-Rise Multifamily Honorable Mention

Affordable Housing Winner

Affordable Housing Honorable Mention

Retrofit Winner

Retrofit Honorable Mention

Commercial/Institutional Winner

Commercial/Institutional Honorable Mention

Best Project by a Young Professional (35 or under)

Award for Public Space Excellence

Student Housing Recognition

International Recognition

Recognition for Excellence in Urban Renewal

Student Design Recognition