Cutting edge application of passive house technologies.
Our Approach
Located in Minneapolis, MN, our climate has some of the most intense climate conditions for passive building. Faced with hot + humid summers and cold + dry winters, our systems are designed to function in a wide range of conditions.
This means that our envelope assembly, mechanical ventilation systems, and overall construction has to be uniquely calibrated to fulfill passive building standards.
Site Constraints
New-construction stacked-flat duplexes are rarely built with passive building standards in mind. To attain Phius design standards, there is little margin for error. The energy budget is low given limited building occupancy, and requirements for fire separation and air tightness mean that mechanical systems need to be design well beyond the expectations of a similarly sized-single family home.
Additionally, we have additional constraints on our narrow, corner infill lot in Southwest Minneapolis. Heavily shaded to the South and over-glazed on the North, many passive building strategies (such as passive solar gain) are inaccessible to our Duplex.
