Case study analysis reveals operational hurdles undermine performance in Passive House multi-unit buildings, highlighting the need for early operator involvement and locally serviceable systems.
This study investigates the persistent performance gap between design intent and operational outcomes in high-performance multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs), focusing on Passive House and EnerPHit standards in Canada. Using two case studies, an EnerPHit-certified deep retrofit of an 18-storey high-rise (Building A) and a newly constructed Passive House-certified six-storey development (Building B), the study explores how technical, organizational, and human factors influence post-occupancy performance. Semi-structured interviews with designers, engineers, contractors, operators, and owners were thematically analysed using NVivo, complemented by post-occupancy evaluation data from a one-year monitoring period and occupant feedback. Findings reveal that while airtightness, insulation, and ventilation strategies were designed to meet Passive House targets, operational issues such as complex controls, user challenges, and maintenance constraints compromised comfort and energy efficiency. Both projects faced overheating, limited occupant control, and mechanical reliability issues linked to imported system components with long lead times. Accessibility shortfalls, limited pre-design investigation, and underused common spaces further restricted resident well-being outcomes. The results highlight priorities for future high-performance MURBs: embedding operators and residents early in design, prioritizing locally serviceable systems, and ensuring comprehensive commissioning, training, and feedback loops to close the performance gap.
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Zamel et al. (2026) studied this question.
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