Transforming an Old Building into a Passive NZE House, Office & Community Classroom

This session will discuss the process of transforming an old masonry building in Newton MA into a PHIUS-certified net-zero office space and educational center for high-performance design and construction. The construction process will be discussed and Passive House features of the building will be described as will challenges and lessons learned from the process. Then, data on actual energy performance and solar production will be shared, and we will examine the various material decisions made in the project and the implications they had for embodied carbon, leading to an overall picture of carbon use for the building.

Session Speaker(s): 

Session Chair(s): 

Event Time: 

Thursday, August 13, 2020 - 3:00pm to 4:00pm

Room / Location:
Marina II

Experience Level: 

2 (some prior experience/knowledge helpful)

CEU Information: 

AIA 1.0 LU/HSW
BPI 1.0 hour
GBCI BD+C, ID+C, O+M 1.0 hour
MA CSL 1.0 hour, Energy
PHI 1.0 credit

Learning Objectives:

  • Outline the design & construction process of renovating an old building to meet the Passive House standard
  • Compare and contrast actual energy-use and solar production data as compared to modeled data
  • Explain embodied carbon of materials and the impact on overall carbon emissions
  • Describe recommendations and lessons learned from the project for future renovations and/or non-residential projects

Session ID: 

BOS20-227