Certified Passive House ADU in Los Angeles

By Passive House California , January 27, 2026 - Member News

A Los Angeles Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) has been certified by the International Passive House Institute (PHI). Congratulations to the entire project team on this achievement. The all-electric, fossil-fuel-free ADU is a two-story, 900-square-foot residence featuring two bedrooms and 1.5 baths. Designed to meet the rigorous Passive House standard, the project incorporates a high-performance building envelope, efficient heat pump systems, and on-site solar photovoltaic generation—demonstrating how compact urban housing can deliver…

Beneath the Surface

By Passive House California , August 13, 2025 - Member News

Passive House California member Christian Kienapfel (PARAVANT Architects) and Jed Donaldson (Johnsonfain) are part of this episode of Beneath the Surface. We travel to California to explore how resilient design is shaping the future of our homes, communities, and cities. Join four leading experts as we uncover: How resilient design protects homeowners, society, and the environment The smartest materials and strategies to safeguard your home against climate threats Why investing…

New Single-Family Residence in Los Angeles Achieves Official Passive House Institute Certification!

By Passive House California , March 10, 2025 - Member News

Congratulations to the team for successfully completing certification! - Passive House Classic | One of the first Passive House rental units in California  This SB-9 project embraces California's forward-thinking regulations to combat the housing shortage in Los Angeles by introducing additional residential units. Designed to meet the rigorous International Passive House Standard, it ensures superior energy efficiency, exceptional comfort, and outstanding indoor air quality. The International Passive House Standard represents…

Passive House: Enhancing Air Conditioning Performance (and more), Without Forcing Change | by Brian Pearson & Susan Diana Harris

By Passive House California , October 24, 2024 - Member News

I had a hand in writing an article promoting Passive House and the legislative effort we are making to get it into the CA code: California can fast-track a guideline that reliably reduces heating and cooling energy demand up to 70% below the current Title-24 baseline: Passive House. Together, we can put this climate resilience standard onto builders’ and owners’ radar, simply by adding a voluntary Passive House alternate pathway into…

Passive House | Project Tour

By Passive House California , May 9, 2024 - Community Meeting, Member News, News, Passive House Open Days

“Passive House SB9 & ADUs in CA’s Milder Climates” marked the first in-person Passive House California home tour in West Los Angeles, held in May 2024. Visitors had the unique opportunity to explore an all electric small-scale Passive House Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) and a Single-Family Residence under SB9, both under construction in Los Angeles and designed by PARAVANT Architects. During the tour, attendees observed the installation of dense pack…

PHN Education Fellowship for Black Architects & Recent Graduates

By Passive House California , January 3, 2024 - Member News, News, Training & Education, Training Scholarship

Representation matters - Apply today to unlock exclusive benefits, training, mentorship, & more. PHN has established the PHN Passive House Education Fellowship. PHN invites all Black architects and engineers who have a commitment to sustainable building to apply and participate. Participants will receive a 50% discount on PHN’s Certified Passive House Designer (CPHD) course price, inclusive of exam + 1-year NAPHN Membership. In addition, NAPHN will actively mentor and connect…

2024 Call for Passive House California Board Membership

By Passive House California , January 1, 2024 - Member News, News

Passive House California is guided by a Board of Directors. Our bylaws allow for five (5) to eleven (11) board members with two-year-long terms. Our annual elections, open to current PHCA members in good standing, are held in January to fill any open seats. For more information see our bylaws. There is no limit to the number of eligible candidates that may nominate themselves for a seat. The newly elected…

Passive House Tradesperson Course (CPHT)

By Passive House California , November 20, 2023 - Member News

It's been awhile since I've set foot in a classroom but the 4.5 day EMU Passive House Tradesperson Certification course wasn't all textbooks and memorization. We were able to put the principles we were learning about in the lecture into practice with hands-on modeling. Friendly competition challenged our team to build air sealed and well insulated mock ups that were tested for effective construction overnight. Team Chipmunk (our team) came…

Passive House Tradesperson (CPHT) Training in Santa Barbara

By Kelly Hsu , November 5, 2023 - Member News

It's beyond my expectations to say the least. Initially I was debating between LEED BD+C certification or Passive House Tradesperson Certification (CPHT) and I'm glad I made the right choice. The biggest fear as builders is that can we realistically take what we learned and apply it to our project? Can the materials be cost efficient and acceptable to the homeowners? Oftentimes, various on-site challenges require us to rely on…

How Buildings Are Key To Fighting Climate Change

By Passive House California , October 16, 2023 - Decarbonization, Member News

In this video, we dive into the pivotal role buildings play in the battle against climate change. Buildings, as they stand, are both victims and culprits in the climate crisis, being poorly equipped to handle climate impacts and also being massive contributors to carbon emissions. Provided by The Passive House Accelerator. The four steps are sequential in the actual construction or renovation of a building, but the reality is that…