CLT Passive House Confidential: The Financial and Logistical Synergy of PH and Mass Timber

Combining Passive House and mass timber construction presents an opportunity to optimize both operational and embodied carbon. The exposed wood CLT structure and building envelope elements offer numerous benefits including interior aesthetics, a healthier indoor environment, reduced use of interior finish materials, and shorter construction duration. However, to date, most CLT multifamily developments have been boutique condominium projects. This session will feature two market-rate CLT Passive House multifamily projects that represent different design strategies for viability and carbon impact. We will analyze their similarities and differences, material and systems choices, design challenges and solutions, synergies and tradeoffs.

Session Chair(s): 

Event Time: 

Thursday, September 15, 2022 - 3:15pm to 4:15pm

Room / Location: 

The Forum

CEU Information: 

Approved for one credit hour through AIA (LU), BOC, BPI, GBCI (BD+C), NARI, Phius, and RESNET.

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe and evaluate the benefits of mass timber construction in relation to reducing a building’s overall carbon footprint.
  • Identify the benefits of combining high performance building enclosures with mass timber construction.
  • Demonstrate how an integrated design approach can result in a successful project and how it helps with design implementation.
  • Explore the comparison of operational and embodied carbon.

Session Documents: 

Session ID: 

NYC22-114