Session · Practice and business · Everyone

High-Performance Housing as Environmental Equity

Rachel Ehrlich, Dattner Architects; Shefali Sanghvi, Dattner Architects · July 9, 2026 · Chapter · PHES (Passive House Empire State)

Two Dattner Architects case studies where equity and sustainability drove the design, showing how affordable Passive House housing can offer healthier, stable homes, relieve energy burden, and support community decarbonization.

Key points

• Strategies for airtightness, insulation, and thermal bridge control in housing.
• How Passive House design improves indoor air quality and resident health.
• How mission-driven work shapes design concepts and outcomes.
• How high-performance envelopes support long-term affordability.
• How Passive House design supports community resilience.

Learning objectives

• Identify strategies for achieving airtightness, insulation, and thermal bridge control in housing projects.
• Analyze how Passive House design improves indoor air quality and resident health outcomes.
• Describe how mission driven work can impact both design concepts and design outcomes.
• Evaluate how high-performance envelopes contribute to long-term housing affordability.
• Summarize how Passive House design can support long-term community resilience.

Topics: Health, Equity and inclusion