What is Passivhaus?
Passive House (or Passivhaus) is a rigorous, evidence-based standard for creating homes with exceptional comfort and very low energy demand.
Through careful design — including high levels of insulation, airtight construction, well-insulated windows, careful detailing and controlled ventilation — Passivhaus homes maintain stable, comfortable indoor conditions while using very little energy for heating and cooling.
At Fluit Studio, we integrate Passivhaus principles into the architectural design process, considering performance alongside how your home looks, feels and supports everyday life.
The result is a home that’s comfortable year-round, healthy to live in and designed to perform for the long term.
Why Passivhaus?
At the heart of Passivhaus is a simple idea: create a home that maintains comfortable indoor conditions while using very little energy.
For homeowners, that can mean more consistent temperatures, fewer draughts, good indoor air quality and a home that is more comfortable throughout the year.
Passivhaus principles can be applied across Australia’s diverse climates. Through careful design and detailed performance modelling, the approach can be adapted to the particular climate, site and needs of each home.
CONSISTENT COMFORT
Passivhaus homes maintain more stable indoor temperatures, with fewer cold spots and draughts, helping you stay comfortable throughout the year.
HEALTHY INDOOR AIR
Continuous filtered ventilation provides fresh air while helping manage moisture and maintain good indoor air quality.
VERY LOW ENERGY DEMAND
Passivhaus dramatically reduces the energy needed for heating and cooling, helping lower running costs and operational carbon emissions.
The Five Key Elements of Passivhaus
01 Continuous High-Performance Insulation
A continuous layer of insulation helps maintain stable indoor temperatures by reducing heat flow through the building envelope. The type and amount of insulation is carefully designed for the home, its construction and climate.
02 Airtight Building Envelope
Passivhaus requires a carefully detailed airtight building envelope to minimise uncontrolled air leakage. Airtightness is verified through testing during construction, helping improve comfort, energy efficiency and building performance.
03 High-Performance Windows
High-performance windows reduce unwanted heat loss and gain and help maintain comfortable temperatures throughout the home. Their size, orientation and shading are considered carefully as part of the overall design.
04 MECHANICAL VENTILATION WITH HEAT RECOVERY
A mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery (MVHR) provides a continuous supply of filtered fresh air while extracting stale air from bathrooms, kitchens and other wet areas. Heat is transferred between the outgoing and incoming air streams, providing fresh air with minimal energy loss.
05 Thermal Bridge-Free Design
Careful detailing minimises thermal bridges — areas where heat can bypass the insulation layer through the building structure. Reducing thermal bridges improves comfort and energy performance and helps manage the risk of surface condensation.
How Passivhaus is integrated into your project
We integrate Passivhaus principles from the earliest stages of design, so decisions about orientation, form, glazing and construction are considered together with how you want your home to look and feel.
Early performance studies help guide key design decisions as your project develops. Where Passivhaus certification or detailed performance modelling is required, we coordinate with an independent Passivhaus consultant who undertakes the PHPP energy modelling.
The results inform the developing design, allowing performance, architecture and budget to be considered together. Where certification is pursued, we also coordinate with the independent Passivhaus Certifier through the design and construction process.
What’s included:
- Passivhaus principles integrated from early design
- Performance-informed design decisions throughout concept and design development
- Coordination of independent PHPP energy modelling where required
- Detailed documentation to support Passivhaus performance requirements
- Coordination with an independent Passivhaus Certifier where certification is pursued
Passivhaus for Existing Homes
EnerPHit applies Passivhaus building-science principles while recognising the practical constraints of working with an existing building. It provides a pathway to significantly improve comfort, indoor air quality and energy efficiency through carefully considered improvements to insulation, airtightness, glazing and ventilation.
Not every existing home needs to pursue EnerPHit certification. Passivhaus principles can also inform individual retrofit decisions and staged improvements, depending on the home, budget and project goals.
Want to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of your existing home?
Fluit Studio works with homeowners at different stages of their retrofit journey, from targeted improvements and staged upgrades through to comprehensive EnerPHit projects.
The right approach will depend on your home, priorities, budget and long-term plans. Not every home needs to pursue EnerPHit certification, and Passivhaus principles can inform improvements at different scales.
Not sure where to begin? The Home Retrofit Roadmap can help you understand what to prioritise and what can be staged over time.
Fluit Studio’s Retrofit Roadmap. provides a practical roadmap to help homeowners understand how their home is performing, identify opportunities for improvement and prioritise future upgrades.
Could Passivhaus be right for your home?
If you’re considering a new home or renovation, we can explore how Passivhaus principles could support your goals for comfort, health and energy efficiency — and what level of performance is right for your project.