Chicago Passive House Listed in the Passive House Database

The Ellis Passive House, which was the first PHI certified passive house in Chicago, is now officially listed in the international Passive House database.

The Passive House database is a joint project of the Passive House Institute, the Passivhaus Dienstleistung GmbH, the IG Passivhaus Deutschland and the iPHA (International Passive House Association) and contains a detailed overview of realized Passive Houses from around the world.

In this case, the antiquated 1890s greystone was renovated by Kenwood Construction Services with ZeroEnergy Design providing Passive House Consulting and Mechanical Design. The Passive House EnerPHit certified project is an excellent example of the renovation possibilities for an aging, residential masonry building. It proves that families who wish to live in a sustainable city home need not be limited by the age of the building nor do they have to compromise on style, space or comfort.

The Ellis Passive House was also recently featured on the Treehugger website for its impressive performance throughout the past winter.

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Treehugger Story on Chicago Passive House Performance During Polar Vortex

Top sustainability website, Treehugger, recently published a story on how the Ellis Passive House in Illinois, Chicago, performed flawlessly during the polar vortex event of 2019, maintaining consistent indoor temperatures of >71 F with minimal increase in kWh demand, thereby proving the inherent resilience of the Passive House standard. Mike Conners of Kenwood Construction Services, the builder on the project, had earlier published a detailed report on the resilience and efficiency exhibited by the Ellis Passive House in the face of the extreme weather conditions.

The Ellis Passive House was originally constructed in the 1890s. It underwent a thorough renovation for modern, green living with ZeroEnergy Design acting as the Certified Passive House Consultant and mechanical designer for the project. It is the first PHI Certified Passive House in Illinois and exemplifies the possibilities of passive house retrofits for older residential masonry buildings in urban settings.

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Illinois Gets Its First Passive House Institute Certified Home

After a thorough renovation and completing a rigorous review process, Ellis Passivhaus in Chicago becomes the first Passive House Institute certified home in Illinois.

A development of Kenwood Construction Services with the Passive House consulting services of  ZeroEnergy Design, the Ellis Passivhaus transforms an antiquated 1890’s rowhome into a progressive, urban, green living environment.  

The newly renovated home now provides exceptional energy performance, healthy indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and long term resilience, all within a Chicago row house aesthetic.  

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