Passive House
At Zanetto Builders, we proudly lead the way as Tasmania's foremost experts in Passive House construction. Our dedicated team of certified Passive House Tradespersons is the largest in the state and stands at the forefront of a transformative mission—to redefine the standards of home construction in Australia. With unwavering commitment, we embark on a journey to craft homes that surpass expectations and set a new benchmark for sustainable, energy-efficient living.
Why Passive House?
A Passive House, also known as Passivhaus (originating in Germany), is a high-performance building design and construction standard focused on achieving exceptional energy efficiency and superior indoor comfort.
Put simply, the home is modelled in its entirety to perform based on its location. Passive House is the Future of Healthy Home Construction in Australia.
Passive Houses feature thick insulation in walls, roofs, and floors, minimising heat loss or gain and keeping the indoor temperature stable.
1
Super Insulation
These buildings are meticulously sealed to prevent drafts and air leakage, ensuring that heated or cooled air doesn't escape.
2
Airtight Construction
Passive Houses use triple-glazed, airtight windows and well-insulated doors to minimise heat transfer and optimise natural light.
3
High Performance Windows & Doors
A controlled ventilation system continuously provides fresh, filtered air while recovering heat from outgoing stale air. This maintains excellent indoor air quality while minimising energy loss.
4
Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR)
Incorporating thermal breaks or insulating materials at points where structural elements, such as beams or columns, penetrate the insulation layer. This prevents heat from escaping through these connections.
5
Thermal Break
How is it Achieved?
The five key principles of a Passive House (Passivhaus) are as follows:
Health
Passive Homes deliver filtered, purified air through well-circulated ventilation systems,
remove harmful pollutants, and ensure a steady flow of fresh air inside. With meticulous
design, Passive House construction prevents moisture issues, keeping dangerous mould and
mildew at bay.
Comfort
Comfort is what makes a house feel like a home. A Passive House is specifically designed to
provide thermal comfort by maintaining consistent room and surface temperatures.
No matter the weather outside, the temperature of your home will remain regulated.
Peace and Quiet
Living in a Passive House fosters a deep sense of calmness, security, and contentment.
Proper insulation sound proofs the home to reduce noise and outside disturbances.
This tranquil environment improves your emotional well-being and quality of life.
Dust Free
A dust free home creates a healthier environment where you can breathe easily, and reduce allergies. With less dust settling on surfaces, Passive Houses are low maintenance homes and are easier to keep clean.
Keep The Critters Out
Who wants creepy crawlies infiltrating their home? These creatures should remain outside in their natural habitat. The airtight design of a Passive House acts as a barrier to keep out unwanted insects, rodents and pests.
Weather Resistant
A Passive House, with its robust construction, offers exceptional weather resistance. This means you can confidently weather storms, extreme temperatures, and harsh conditions while staying comfortably protected inside. Your home becomes a reliable shelter, enhancing your peace of mind.
Sustainable
A Passive House embodies sustainability by significantly reducing energy consumption. This benefits the environment and lowers utility costs, saving you money in the long run. It’s an eco-conscious choice supporting a greener future and financial well-being.
Proven Performance
Passive house isn’t just a trend, these homes have been designed through extensive research since 1988. The definitive criteria for a Passive House are set by the Passive House Institute under the direction of Dr Wolfgang Feist, who built the first-ever passive home.
Energy Efficient
The cost of living is increasing, and so are our power bills. A Passive House can reduce your energy bills by barely using heating or cooling. Your home stays at a constant temperature all year round, and with the inclusion of solar panels, you can achieve the highest standard of energy efficiency.
Build as a Team
Collaboration is a must. Building a passive home is a great achievement, but it's not a journey you want to be taking alone. Working with a certified Passive House builder is essential to achieve high quality results. We commit to collaborating with your certified Passive Haus architect to ensure your house becomes a forever home.
Future Proof
Building to a passive standard is a long-term investment not only for the structural integrity of your home, but for the health of our environment. A Passive House is built to last, continuing to perform well into the future. These homes produce less carbon emissions than regular homes, reducing your carbon footprint, and slowing the rate of climate change.
Passive House Benefits
Passive House Standards
Passive House applies to all building types and can fit any architectural style. Haus connotes building in Passive Haus and therefore can be applied to any construction project. It could be an apartment building, a school, a hospital, or even a high-rise office tower - the opportunities are endless.
Three Performance Targets
Passive House brings a laser-like focus to building better homes and there is no way out for poor execution as the home is tested throughout construction. Three key metrics are to be met for the home to be signed off.
Thermal Energy Demand
Passive House certification requires buildings to use very little energy for heating or cooling, measured either in annual demand or peak load. Lower energy consumption and peak load reduce operational carbon emission.
Total Energy Demand
Passive House certification requires buildings to use very little total energy for overall building operations (heating, cooling, plug loads, lighting, appliances, etc.). Lower energy consumption and peak load reduce operational carbon emission
Air Tightness
To ensure building durability, verify construction quality, and boost energy performance, Passive House buildings must have high levels of airtightness, as measured by blower door testing. This airtightness, combined with high-quality ventilation, delivers superior indoor air quality.
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Meet Kyle Zanetto, the visionary founder of Zanetto Builders and Tasmania. Young Builder of the Year 2023, his love for the building industry is unwavering on a mission to redefine the building industry through education and collaboration.
Leading a team of like-minded individuals where a world of luxury homes and cutting-edge Passive House design converge.
As the driving force behind Zanetto Builders, Kyle's commitment to innovation and environmental consciousness has propelled the company to the forefront of the luxury and healthy home market in Tasmania. With a keen eye for detail, an unwavering dedication to quality, and an unyielding commitment to the culture and growth of those around him, Kyle Zanetto has established a legacy that brings together like-minded individuals to push toward a common goal.
In his spare time, he loves to remain active and spend time with his beloved partner and two beautiful dogs at the beach.
He also has a deep passion for design, having personally sketched and built 2 nationally recognized award-winning homes as he followed his dream of design. To bring this vision to life Kyle has created a new term and business called DARKITECTURE, a page specialising in the construction of dark toned projects
As part of his mission to change the building industry, he has co-founded an online educational platform called FUTURE BUILDER, designed to improve the lives of those in the construction industry, teaching his learnings to others
