High Performance Building Materials for Passive House Construction

Lecture for Building & Construction Technology at UMass Amherst, given Oliver Klein of 475 Building Supply.

The name “475” is a reference to the heat demand requirement of the Passive House Standard, 4.75 kBtu/sf./yr. Passive House is the gold standard for high performance envelope construction today. Learn about the strategies and materials used to achieve this extraordinary level of performance in today’s best performing buildings.

Oliver Klein is a Registered Architect, LEED AP Certified, Passive House Consultant. Oliver speaks about his company 475 High Performance Building Supply, a company whose mission is to make our buildings more durable, resilient, ecological, and energy-efficient, all of which enables buildings to dramatically reduce our energy demand and address our climate crisis while never sacrificing occupant comfort and health.

Learning Objectives:
1. Outline meaning and characteristics of high performance materials.
2. Describe the principles of Passive House, and its impacts on construction.
3. Describe strategies for utilizing high performance materials to achieve Passive House goals.
4. Outline steps in how material utilization strategies can be optimized to for affordability, comfort and durability.