This month, the Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio launched the Renewable Homes Construction program which will provide free training on how to build, design or retrofit homes to make them more energy efficient. We were pleased to see that this roadshow includes passive house design as the top listed area of education.

We are changeing the way we operate the State Chapters and moving to a Co-chair model.

Industry leader, the Construction Training Centre (CTC) launched the nation’s first Certified Passivhaus training facility in Queensland, which will enable industry participants – from carpenters and other industry trades to architects and engineers– to learn about sustainable building principles, among other things.

Pocket Passiv wins the Sustainable Architecture Award for the Australian Institute Architects, NSW 2024 Program. Located in Glebe, Pocket Passiv is Australia's smallest certified Passivhaus at 34 sqm in size. The project achieves ambitious levels of amenity for its residents all whilst occupying the ‘pocket-sized’ footprint of 27sqm. Congratulations to Australian Passivhaus Association, Member Architect and Passivhaus Designer - Anderson Architecture on winning this award.

Registrations for Offsite 2024 are now open!

Offsite 2024: prefabAUS Roadmap to 2033 will take place over two days 28-29 August in Sydney. APA members have been generously extended the member discount from PrefabAUS. Read more to learn how to secure this great rate with total savings opportunity for up to $1000.

We are now accepting applications for speakers to present on a variety of Passivhaus topics.

Passivhaus construction places a strong emphasis on airtightness — a fundamental principle that ensures structural durability while increasing energy efficiency and occupant comfort. It signifies a holistic approach to building design that supports thermal performance, durability, sustainability and occupant comfort.

We'd like to thank our community for the success of the 2024 THRIVE Passivhaus Conference!

It was our biggest conference to date with 300+ attendees! 🥳

A big shout out and thank you to our amazing sponsors:

Principle Sponsor: Aluplast

Gold Sponsors: Binq Windows and Bondor

Bronze Sponsors: Proclima and Oranik

Passivhaus, also known as Passive House, represents an approach to sustainable building design that prioritises occupant comfort, energy efficiency and environmental responsibility, let’s explore its 5 principles…

NatHERS vs Passivhaus: Understanding the Differences

Farewell to the man with the question, Vale Jeffrey Robinson.

A fierce advocate and leader for our Passivhaus community and industry alike. Jeff's infectious enthusiasm and inquiring mind brought a light to our industry like no other.

It's no secret that Passivhaus delivers better building performance when compared to minimum code construction.

But how exactly does the standard support performance?

Launching in 2024, The Australian Passivhaus Association will run the inaugural Passivhaus Incubator. This fully-funded two-month program is designed to impart the Association’s introductory Passivhaus knowledge on to individuals in client and policy groups.

Sustainability and climate change have been hot topics for decades, but building standards like Passivhaus are only just gaining traction. Why could this be the case?

According to The Pew Research Center, most people are tired of the doom-and-gloom narrative portrayed by the media which leads to them believing that climate change is overblown. And this view has likely become entrenched in much of the building industry, hampering participation.

To remedy this, it takes a two-pronged approach with industry leaders playing a key role and individuals themselves advocating for change.

In this month’s sustainability spotlight, Bethany Mercieca, a carpenter at Blue Eco Homes and HIA apprentice of the year, shares how we can grow the number of young professionals and trades in Passivhaus.

While many might've looked at their rundown, weatherboard-clad house — complete with leaky roof — as a knockdown rebuild, Tylah and Dylan had other plans. Using the bones of their 1950s cottage in Melbourne's east and Dylan's skills as a builder, their goal was to turn it into a modern passive home.