2020 PHIUS Passive House Projects Competition
PHIUS awarded the finalists of the 2020 Passive Projects Design Competition during the annual Design Awards ceremony on Friday, October 30, 2020, capping a week of the PHIUS 2020 Passive House Hootenannies. Now in its sixth year, this juried competition recognizes exemplary passive building projects of all types and climate zones.
We extend special thanks to this year's panel of volunteer judges: Tessa Bradford (Smith), Arathi Gowda, Shannen Martin, Graham Irwin, and Katrin Klingenberg.
The competition awards Winner and Honorable Mention designations in the categories of Single Family, Multifamily, Affordable, Commercial, School, and Source Zero as well as Best Overall Project and Best Project by a Young Professional (Under 35). Competition entries were judged on their strength in the following categories: energy performance, design, craftsmanship, use of healthy materials, level of difficulty for the given climate and site, and cost effectiveness of the Affordable projects.
The 2020 Finalists were awarded as follows:
Best Overall Project Winner:
Finch Cambridge
CPHC: Ian Johnson, Linnean Solutions
Builder:NEI General Contracting
Architect:ICON Architecture
QA/QC Rater:New Ecology/JSR Adaptive Energy Solutions
Owner: Homeowners Rehab, Inc. (HRI)
Designed to Enterprise Green criteria and the first affordable Passive House building in Massachusetts, Finch Cambridge is a new, 98-unit community that prioritizes holistic sustainable principals while staying laser-focused on energy and resilience. Inspired in form and materiality by the urban wildland of Fresh Pond Reservoir across the street, the building aims to address two of today's toughest problems: the climate crisis and the urgent need for affordable housing.
The generous entry lobby provides comfortable spaces to wait, meet, and socialize while connecting to transit, programming, and building energy data that is communicated through a digital monitor. A welcoming open stair and inspiring signage encourage Active Design, while thoughtful use of color and contrast differentiate each floor and improve navigation and wayfinding. Meandering paths connect to various landscaped areas, from the more public “front porch” to a modest dog park and nestled sculptural play feature for secure, onsite recreation.
The building is elevated to protect against 2070 storm surges, which also provides a secure place for covered bike storage and carefully concealed automobile parking. A soaring, multipurpose community room and adjacent roof deck will be used for social programming and services, as well as passive survivability. Nearby laundry, study nooks and a resident lounge allow families to balance domestic and other needs while remaining proximate.
The whole-building ventilation system improves health and reduces allergens, with continuous filtered fresh air to each unit and constant exhaust of stale air. With airtight and thermal continuity, right-sized systems and high-efficiency lighting and appliances, the Site Energy Use Intensity (Site EUI) for the building, as projected by the final energy model, is 23.15 kBTU/SF/YR, a 70% reduction as compared to the national average for multi-family housing.
Best Project by at Young Professional Under 35 Winner:
Finch Cambridge
PHIUS Certified Projects Database Listing
CPHC:Ian Johnson, Linnean Solutions
Builder:NEI General Contracting
Architect:ICON Architecture
QA/QC Rater:New Ecology/JSR Adaptive Energy Solutions
Owner: Homeowners Rehab, Inc. (HRI)
Best Project by at Young Professional Under 35 Honorable Mention:
Meadows Haus
CPHC: Chris Price, KLIMA Architecture
Builder: T&T Mountain Builders
Architect: Chris Price, KLIMA Architecture
QA/QC Rater: Dave Brach
PHIUS Certified Projects Database Listing
SINGLE FAMILY - WINNER
Ballard Passive House
CPHC:Taylor Callaway, AIA
Builder:First Lamp Architects - Kevin Witt, Certified Builder
Architect:First Lamp Architects - Taylor Callaway AIA, CPHC
QA/QC Rater:Tom Balderston, Balderson Associates
PHIUS Certified Projects Database Listing
SINGLE FAMILY - Honorable Mention
South Jersey Passive House
CPHC:Ilka Cassidy
Builder:Hugh Lofting Timber Framing and High Performance Building
Architect:C2 Architecture
QA/QC Rater:David Berg
PHIUS Certified Projects Database Listing
MULTIFAMILY - WINNER
Pax Futura
CPHC: Joe Giampietro + Greta Tjeltveit, Evergreen Consulting
Builder: Sloan Ritchie, Cascade Built
Architect: Brandon Nicholson, NK Architects, Brittany Porter, NK Architects
QA/QC Rater: Joe Giampietro + Greta Tjeltveit, Evergreen Consulting
PHIUS Certified Projects Database Listing
MULTIFAMILY - Honorable Mention
542 W 153rd Street
CPHC:Henry Gifford
Builder:Inspiron Construction
Architect:Chris Benedict, R.A.
QA/QC Rater:Terry Brennan
PHIUS Certified Projects Database Listing
AFFORDABLE - WINNER
Finch Cambridge
CPHC: Ian Johnson, Linnean Solutions
Builder:NEI General Contracting
Architect:ICON Architecture
QA/QC Rater:New Ecology/JSR Adaptive Energy Solutions
Owner: Homeowners Rehab, Inc. (HRI)
PHIUS Certified Projects Database Listing
AFFORDABLE - Honorable Mention
Beach Green Dunes II
CPHC:Thomas Moore, Steven Winter Associates, Inc.
Builder:L+M Builders Group
Architect: Curtis + Ginsberg Architects
QA/QC Rater:Mike O'Donnell, Steven Winter Associates, Inc.
PHIUS Certified Projects Database Listing
COMMERCIAL - WINNER
Passive House Technical and Experience Center
(Siemens Center)
CPHC:Yes, PHI in Darmstadt, Germany
Builder:Laixi Construction General Contracting Company
Architect: RoA Rongen TRIBUS VALLENTIN
QA/QC Rater: None
COMMERCIAL - Honorable Mention
Tantrum Commercial
CPHC:STARK Architecture Ltd.
Builder:Tree
Architect:STARK Architecture Ltd.
QA/QC Rater:Tad Everhart (Certiphiers)
SCHOOL - WINNER
Wheaton College Pine Hall
CPHC:Thornton Tomasetti, SGA
Builder: Commodore Builders
Architect: SGA
QA/QC Rater: Mike Browne
PHIUS Certified Projects Database Listing
SCHOOL - Honorable Mention
Secondary School Baesweiler
CPHC:Yes, PHI in Darmstadt, Germany
Builder:Many different companies are involved
Architect:Rongen Architekten
QA/QC Rater:Sibylle Roßmann
SOURCE ZERO - WINNER
Tracy Community Housing
CPHC:EcoHouses of Vermont
Builder:Estes & Gallup
Architect:Maclay Architects
QA/QC Rater:VEIC
PHIUS Certified Projects Database Listing
SOURCE ZERO - Honorable Mention
Wildwood Passive House
CPHC:Lisa White
Builder:Evolutionary Home Builders
Architect:Evolutionary Design Build
QA/QC Rater:Eco Achievers
PHIUS Certified Projects Database Listing