The Passive House design introduction course

Boost your Passive House knowledge with a crash course on
key design principles

Home|Passive House courses for Designers and Consultants|The Passive House design introduction course

About the course

We live in a time when the health of our communities – and of our planet – is at the forefront of many people’s minds. What can we, as designers and planners, do to create a healthier environment? How can we feel better about the projects we work on and the way we live?

This one-day crash course is for building sector professionals wanting to deepen their knowledge around the revolutionary Passive House design approach. You will learn about the principles behind Passive House, how the standard is changing the way people live in Europe and the United States, and how it applies in an Australian setting. By the end of the course, you should understand how Passive House can be used to create energy-efficient, comfortable, fully controllable houses – for any climate. And how to achieve this affordably/economically.

Image credit: Passivhaus Institue

Course Content

Learning objectives

Students will gain an insight into:

  • The factors behind Passive House
  • The five components of Passive House
  • How COVID-19 and bushfire affects designs
  • Building safety and security
  • Designing a Passive House structure
  • The economic aspects of Passive House
  • A design case study from Perth
  • Real-life questions
  • Built examples and conclusions

Topics

  • Introduction into Passive House
  • Why Passive House?
  • The 5 Passive House components
  • What impacts our design?
  • Designing a Passive House
  • Economic aspects and sales
  • Passive House for Perth – case study
  • Real-life questions
  • Built examples and conclusion

Course dates & fees

Self-Paced

$97 (including GST)
  • The Passive House Design Introduction Course
  • coming soon
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Course details

Prerequisites

This course is designed for anyone involved in design and planning who wishes to gain a better understanding of Passive House. The standard of teaching and coursework is equivalent to high school level. A solid understanding of basic design and construction principles is recommended. There are no academic prerequisites, but potential students should be self-motivated.

Materials Required for class

This course is conducted remotely with students participating and accessing study materials via the internet. It is the responsibility of students to ensure they have an adequate data connection. Speeds of 3 MBPS are required for the online course. Students need to supply their own PC or Mac computer. Other materials required include: a calculator.

It is recommended that students have coloured pens, post-it notes, plus web camera and microphone capabilities in their device.

Materials provided for class

Access to live session, including access to the teacher.

Is this course for you?

This course is aimed at architects, building designers, engineers, contractors, builders, policymakers, salespeople and teachers – in short, anyone involved in building design or engineering. It is suitable for owner-builders with decent academic skills.

Access

The Passive House Design Introduction Course runs over eight hours, during which time students have live access to teachers.

Students who book the automated version of the course will have three-months’ access to the recordings.

Teachers

Daniel Kress

Daniel started his career in the construction sector as a carpenter employed on sites in his native Germany. He next worked in Ireland on what was then the world’s biggest modular residential project. After 10 years on the trades side of building, Daniel completed a Master of Civil Engineering and worked as a researcher on EU sustainable building projects.

Daniel has been based in Australia since 2015, and in 2017 he founded the Smart Plus Academy. His vision is to help build a more sustainable construction sector and to promote dwellings that are comfortable and liveable while using minimal energy.

Daniel is a Certified Passive House trainer and through his work at the Smart Plus Academy and other institutions has helped train more than 50 per cent of the certified Passive House professionals in Australia today. Daniel’s philosophy is to “inspire and lead with passion and love” and “to contribute to society through teaching that inspires growth”.

Julia Kiefer

After studying architecture in her native Germany, Julia moved to Australia in 2006. She then worked for leading architectural practices in Melbourne, Perth and Darwin, along the way gaining an understanding of Australia’s different geographic zones and the extremes of its climate.

Deeply passionate about sustainability and energy-efficient building design, Julia graduated as a Certified Passive House Designer in 2018. She has since made it her mission to bring about change in the building sector and to educate Australians about comfortable, healthy and sustainable living spaces.

In 2020, Julia joined Smart Plus Academy as assistant Passive House trainer. She now educates building professionals across Australia about the Passive House standard.