Whether net zero, Passive House, or other certification is your objective, incorporating a healthy materials strategy is as essential as figuring out how you will design the building envelope and mechanical systems. Thoughtful selection of materials can help design teams get a better handle on the embodied carbon impact of those materials choices and thus help buildings achieve better embodied carbon outcomes. In this active, high-participation session, participants will identify where harmful chemicals might reside in building products using the “Six Classes” approach.

Largely thanks to their better form-factor, large multifamily buildings are typically able to achieve the Passive House standard without the extremely high levels of insulation common on smaller buildings. However, there are cases where very high levels of insulation may be needed, particularly when working in dense urban areas.

There has never been a better time for architects, designers, project managers and property owners to get creative about how to integrate solar into multi-family and commercial buildings with large energy requirements. Raising the solar PV panels above the roof allows for more kilowatts while creating intriguing canopied spaces (i.e., recreational areas, roof gardens and green roofs) with both indoor and outdoor benefits.