As wildfires grow more frequent, buildings need to be fire-safe and resilient, and Passive House offers a clear path. The course reviews the latest science on wildfires and buildings, the interplay of structure, landscape, and community, and a toolkit for analyzing and carrying out fire-resilient Passive House strategies.
Ed May of BLDGtyp and Maggie Wohltjen of Shape Architecture Studio introduce their practices, make the case for Passive House and what it pays back, and walk through a Passive House rebuild after Colorado's Marshall Fire.
Solar shading as a seasonal control system in the facade, for hot-humid Gulf Coast climates: interior and exterior devices compared, daylighting tradeoffs, automation and controls, and how exterior venetian blinds behave under wind loads.
The airtight envelopes, sealed penetrations, and continuous insulation of Passive House also do the work of fire hardening, traced through a Pacific Palisades retrofit underway during the January 2025 fires and prototypes for Altadena rebuilds.
A 1,700-square-foot rebuild after the Marshall Fire on a steep Colorado hillside, designed for wildfire risk, aging in place, and a guest suite, with a high-performance envelope, fire-resilient AAC walls, and utility rebates that made it possible.
Marcelo Haag of Maxa Design compares a Passive House with a minimum-code home in hot, humid Cairns, Australia: the performance gap, the debates over airtightness and ERV dehumidification, and strategies for optimization and on-site solar.
A Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist on hardening buildings and communities against wildfire: ignition pathways, fire-weather alerts, the health and economic toll of urban conflagration smoke, defensible space, ember-resistant detailing, and where Passive House fits.
Enrico Bonilauri of Emu Passive on applying Passive House in warm, hot, and humid climates: ventilation, moisture control, solar shading, and envelope design, with case studies and performance data on comfort, durability, and energy efficiency.
Motorized exterior shading and integrated smart controls: their value in managing solar heat gains, daylight, glare, privacy, and views across building types, uses, and climates.
The certifier, engineer, and developer on designing two terraced Passive Houses in Cartagena, Colombia, one of the hardest climates for Passive House: average monthly temperatures around 82°F year round, high humidity, and intense sun.
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