The Passive House standard is an advanced energy-efficiency standard which methodically produces buildings with superior indoor air quality and thermal comfort while reducing heating energy-use by a factor of ten. For example, a Passive House residence can often be heated with the equivalent of a hair dryer. The Passive House standard applies to all building types including single and multi-family residences, mixed-use buildings, as well as commercial and office buildings. The image below highlights the major features of Passive House buildings.
Highly Experienced Passive House Design and Construction Team
With over 10 years of combined Passive House design and construction experience, Green Hammer carries more experience in this ultra high-performance building standard than any other company in the US. Our leading Passive House consultant, Dylan Lamar has worked closely with the Passive House Institute US since 2004, and authored the US version of the Passive House energy modeling software (including the conversion from metric into US customary units). He has worked on Passive House developments from Illinois, to New Mexico, to Oregon, and additionally has had the opportunity to design and consult on both residential and commercial Passive House projects. He has recently authored a book on Passive House development in the US.
With four Certified Passive House Consultants on staff (including architectural designers, engineering interns, and construction managers) Green Hammer offers a full spectrum of design, consulting, and construction services for Passive House projects. Additionally, we offer advanced consulting services to other Certified Passive House Consultants, including PHPP review, moisture analysis, and continuing education. For inquiries regarding Passive House consulting, email dylan@greenhammer.com.
Our Passive House Work
Green Hammer is currently consulting on the design and construction of what may become America’s first Passive House office building. The building, currently under construction, will house the non-profit organization PCUN, Oregon’s Farmworker Union. View a poster presentation with more information about this exciting project. Green Hammer recently worked with two local architects to build their very own Passive House. Located on a small lot on SE Morrison, the LoneFIR House grows vertically as an urban townhouse with a separate apartment unit at grade. This house is a wonderful example of how Passive House construction and urban housing form can combine to radically reduce a household's carbon footprint by addressing both heating energy and automobile use, all while increasing livability. View an informational poster or check out the blog on this project.
The CoreHaus is a Passive House residence recently completed in NE Portland by architect-builder Robert Hawthorne. Green Hammer’s Dylan Lamar provided Passive House consultation and worked closely with the architect through the design process to cost-effectively reach the ambitious performance requirements of the Passive House standard. More about the project can be found on the blog at www.corehauspdx.com.
This small panelized house addition in Sellwood was designed using the Passive House software. Through superinsulation, air-tightness and triple-pane windows, we were able to completely eliminate the need to increase the size of the existing house’s heating system, making the highly-efficient shell quite cost-effective.
The Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) is an advanced yet simplified energy modeling software which is used to accurately predict a building’s energy performance during its design. Our company uses this software to produce graphs such as the one above for cost-benefit decision-making during the design process. Because our team contains a diversity of professionals (designers, builders, and energy consultants) we use an integrated design process which is highly collaborative. We use this process whether handling all aspects of a project (design, construction, and energy consultation) or working with outside architects or builders.
Beyond the Passive House energy software, our energy consultants are trained in the use of advanced energy modeling software which can accurately predict heat losses through particular construction details. This thermograph of a foundation-to-wall junction shows the effect of continuous insulation in reducing “thermal-bridging” through the slab edge.