The California Rebuilds Catalog

Last year, the Passive House Network, in collaboration with Passive House California, held the California Rebuilds Design Competition to challenge and inspire the rebuilding efforts in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades. We received dozens of entries from designers around the world, and now we’re thrilled to be able to make those entries accessible to everyone. We’re launching The California Rebuilds Catalog, available for free online, to show what Passive House can do.

All entries included in the catalog were asked to meet Passive House Classic certification or higher and California’s Fire Resilience Code for home and landscape hardening. More than that, each design considers the needs of the modern homeowner and the context in which the homes will be built.

Inside the catalog, you’ll find designs that reflect the particular architectural styles unique to the Altadena and Pacific Palisades neighborhoods impacted by the fire–Craftsman, Spanish Colonial Revival, Mid-Century Modern, and Contemporary. Each design uses a typical lot size for the area, accounting for required setbacks and parking requirements, ensuring the designs can be built in the neighborhoods for which they were intended. Each entry includes a minimum of three bedrooms and considers affordability and aging in place.

“In the year since the Palisades and Eaton Fires swept through Los Angeles, the Passive House community has worked to create new resources to support those affected by climate disasters,” said Ken Levenson, Executive Director of The Passive House Network. “Our design competition and the resulting catalog represent a milestone in raising awareness of the power of resilient Passive House.”

Gorgeous open spaces, resilient materials, and highly efficient systems are reliable themes throughout the catalog, and some plans include areas for outdoor living, water features, and Accessible Dwelling Units (ADUs) for additional space.

Those interested in a particular design are encouraged to contact the architects behind the submission. Because the competition parameters specified the typical lot size of the affected areas, including the required setbacks, it’s quite possible to see these designs come to life in a Los Angeles neighborhood. Some of the designs are already in the permitting process, and many were created with expedited delivery in mind through prefabricated construction.

We’re hopeful that the catalog will help designers, builders, homeowners, and policymakers throughout the country understand the value of Passive House. To celebrate the launch of the catalog, PHN will host an online conversation with the competition winners on February 10th at Noon ET. Attendees will hear about the thought process behind creating a resilient Passive House building. The event is free, and all are welcome to join, learn, and ask questions