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passive house

A healthier, more comfortable home that costs far less to run.​

Fresh, clean air. No mould or damp. Steady comfort all year, and far lower energy bills. That's what a Passive House delivers.

We're Tasmanian registered architects and certified Passive House designers. Our CEO is co-chair of the Australian Passivhaus Association (Tasmania)

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Align team member showing a client through a finished Passive House home, Tasmania

Most people think a Passive House is about saving energy. It is, but that's only part of the story.

A Passive House, or Passivhaus, is one of the healthiest, most comfortable, and most durable ways to build. Yes, it stays warm in winter and cool in summer with very little heating or cooling. But it also gives you continuous fresh, filtered air, far fewer allergens, and a home that controls moisture instead of growing mould. And because the whole building is designed to manage heat and moisture properly, the structure itself is protected from condensation and rot, so the home lasts longer and costs less to maintain.

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THE REAL BENEFITS OF A PASSIVE HOUSE

Comfort, all year

Even temperatures in every room, no cold corners or draughts, through a Tasmanian winter and a warm summer with very little heating or cooling. The home stays stable and comfortable even through heatwaves, cold snaps and smoky days. It's noticeably quieter inside too, thanks to the sealed, well-insulated build.

Healthier air to breathe

A Passive House continuously supplies fresh, filtered air. That means fewer allergens like pollen and dust, which makes a real difference for anyone with asthma or hay fever. The air is cleaner, and it's constant, not stale.

A drier home that lasts longer

Condensation and mould are some of the most common problems in Tasmanian homes. A Passive House manages moisture properly, keeping the air healthy and keeping that moisture out of the walls and roof, so the structure is protected from rot and the home lasts longer with less maintenance. Homes built to this level are also increasingly sought after.

Lower, predictable energy bills

A Passive House is modelled before it's built, so its energy use is calculated and designed to a target, not guessed at. The result is a home that needs very little heating or cooling, with running costs that stay low for the life of the building.

Five building-science principles, designed in early and tested on site. Get them right and the comfort, health, and durability follow.

1. Continuous insulation

A thick, continuous layer of insulation wraps the whole building. It keeps indoor temperatures stable and helps prevent condensation forming on cold surfaces.

2. Airtight construction

A continuous airtight layer stops uncontrolled draughts and stops moist air leaking into the structure where it can cause damage. Airtightness is verified on site with a blower-door test.

3. Thermal bridge-free design

Thermal bridges are points (steel, concrete, junctions) where heat escapes and cold gets in, creating cold spots and condensation risk. A Passive House is detailed to eliminate them.

4. High-performance windows and doors

Double or triple glazing with well-insulated, thermally broken frames, sized and oriented to capture winter sun and shade out summer heat. This cuts heat loss dramatically and stops condensation forming on the inside of the glass.

5. Ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR)

Often called the "lungs" of a Passive House. It supplies constant fresh, filtered air and recovers the warmth from outgoing air, so you get clean air without losing heat. The type of recovery unit is matched to your climate.

Want to go deeper on the standard? The Australian Passivhaus Association is the national body, and a great place to learn more.

Blower-door airtightness test on a Passive House, with a calibrated fan sealed into a doorway.

certified, or designed to the standard? we are clear about it

A certified Passive House is independently tested during construction, including an on-site airtightness test that a typical new home never gets. You can also design to the principles and capture most of the benefit without full certification. We’ll be straight about which path suits your goals and budget.


[Read more: certified vs designed to the standard →]

recognised passive house expertise

Our team includes a certified Passive House Designer, and our whole studio are members of the Australian Passivhaus Association.

Our CEO is co-chair of the Australian Passivhaus Association (Tasmania), helping lead the standard’s growth across the state.

registered architects

We’re a registered architecture practice. Our work has been recognised with a People’s Choice Award from the Australian Institute of Architects (Tasmania), along with multiple Master Builders and HIA awards.

real projects, real commitment

We have worked on multiple homes targeting Passivhaus over the past four years, with many still on the books. As early adopters of the standard in Tasmania, we believe in it, and our focus is always on designing better homes.

environment-positive by default

We design healthy, sustainable buildings, and we plant 150 trees for every project, on the way to our goal of one million trees by 2050.

Zehnder heat recovery ventilation unit installed in a Passive House project, Sheffield, Tasmania.

Passive House is usually part of our full design service, and we can also come in for Passive House advice or work alongside your own designer.

We bring Passive House in early, not late

Most projects leave it too late. The home is designed, the budget is set, and only then does anyone check whether it meets the standard, by which point fixing it can be costly. Through our work with the Australian Passivhaus Association and years on these projects, we’ve built a clear sequence for when each assessment happens. We bring it in during concept design, so you know from the start whether the project will reach the standard and what it will cost.

1. Start with a conversation

A free, no-obligation call to understand your project and work out the right path for you.

2. Design and documentation

We develop the design with the Passive House detailing resolved, including thermal bridges. For a certified project, a Passive House certifier is engaged to confirm compliance and secure pre-construction approval before building begins.

3. Construction support

Where certification is the goal, a Passive House certifier verifies the build. We remain available to support the project through to completion.

Frequently asked questions

A regular energy-efficient home is usually rated on standard assumptions, so its real-world performance is largely predicted rather than proven. A Passive House is modelled in detail in the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP), the design tool used to calculate how the building will actually perform, then designed to hit specific targets. Where a home is certified, that performance is verified on site during construction, including the airtightness test, so the result is checked against the standard rather than assumed.

No. A Passive House isn’t a style, and it certainly doesn’t have to be a box. Almost any design can reach the standard. The shape just changes how you get there: a simpler, more compact form is easier and cheaper to bring to Passive House, while a more sculptural design has more external surface and more junctions, so it may call for:

  • thicker walls for added insulation
  • higher-performance glazing
  • more detailed construction work to manage thermal bridges

which can add cost. All of this is worked through early in the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP), so the trade-offs are clear while the design is still flexible. Passive House guides the design, it doesn’t restrict it, and there’s plenty of room for architectural character.

Yes, and we’ll be upfront about that. A Passive House is one of the most rigorous ways to build, designed to strict targets and, where certified, checked on site rather than taken on trust. That quality costs more upfront. What you get for it is a healthier home for your family that lasts longer and costs far less to run, with much of the difference earned back over time through lower energy bills and maintenance.
[Read more: what does a Passive

House cost? →]

Tasmania’s cool, damp climate is one of the best places in Australia for a Passive House. It holds a warm, comfortable home through the colder months and stays cooler over summer, and because moisture is managed properly, it helps avoid the condensation and mould that are so common in Tasmanian homes.

Yes, of course. The windows are fully operable, so open them whenever you like. The difference is that you won’t have to. Most homes rely on someone opening a window to get fresh air, whereas a Passive House has mechanical ventilation quietly supplying constant fresh, filtered air on its own. So opening a window is a choice, not a chore. Enjoy the breeze on a nice day, and the ventilation keeps the air healthy the rest of the time.

We design across Tasmania from our Launceston and Hobart studios, including the north, the south, and the north-west coast around Devonport.

What clients say

“Seeing two layout options side by side helped us understand what was actually possible and how different choices affected cost. We had so many ideas for our renovation, and this process helped us narrow things down and find a clear direction without feeling pressured to make a full commitment to design.”
Renovation project
Renovation project
“We weren’t sure what direction to take and didn’t want to commit too early. Seeing the options laid out helped us understand what was achievable and make a clear decision before moving further into design.”
Residential project
Residential project
“We had never designed or built before and honestly didn’t know what the process looked like. This gave us the confidence to choose a path forward knowing we’d properly explored our options. Even before committing to further design, we had a solid understanding of what was achievable.”
First-time design client
First-time design client

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