Name: Weathering the future with Passive House construction
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Amita Sobti and her family, like many Marshall Fire victims, are rebuilding their home to be extra energy efficient. And there's an added benefit: fire resistance.This video was produced in collaboration with NOVA and is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Can how we build change how we live?

Amita Sobti and her family, like many Marshall Fire victims, are rebuilding their home to be extra energy efficient. And there's an added benefit: fire resistance.

Weathering the future with Passive House construction

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Narrator: On December 30th, 2021, the most destructive wildfire in Colorado's history, known as the Marshall Fire, destroyed more than a thousand homes in the suburbs of Denver and claimed the lives of two people. These places burned over here. The Sobtis were one of the many families who lost their home. Amita, her husband Manu, and their two kids were on vacation at the time of the fire and watched everything unfold through their security cameras. Amita Sobti: And we were on a beach, I remember. And we were in disbelief, like, this can be happening. We'll be fine. Narrator: But when they returned to Colorado five days later, they saw firsthand the damage that was done. Amita Sobti: It was just gone. It was ashes. One car was in the garage that had blown out pretty much, and the garage door had melted and fallen on it. And the rest, everything was ash. It was a is a hole in the face of worth. And just it was disbelief. I could not believe that the entire neighborhood was wiped out with that one fire. Narrator: Wildfires are not uncommon in Colorado, but the Marshall Fire was an outlier. Most fires affected rural parts of the state, and this fire destroyed suburban neighborhoods. And it happened in the middle of winter. Leading some scientists like Cenlin He from the National Center for Atmospheric Research, to conclude that fire season, once limited to the summer, is now a year round threat. Cenlin He: The climate change has affected the Colorado climate. First, they increase the temperature in the past few decades actually leads to melting of the snowpack. And as these are also increased the dryness of the Colorado climate. Narrator: Enter the Passive House, an energy efficient building standard that has an unintended secondary benefit: fire Resistance. Andrew Michler: Passive House was originally intended specifically to to directly deal with climate crisis. And buildings are such a significant part of that. Narrator: Andrew Mishler is a leading passive house designer. He built the first certified Passive House in Colorado. The exteriors of these buildings are made from noncombustible materials. They are also built exceptionally airtight and are equipped with things like triple pane windows that are more resistant to impact extra thick insulation... Andrew Michler: This is about ten inches of insulation. Narrator: fewer nooks and crannies where smaller fires could start, and a specific ventilation system that even filters out smoke. Zoe Kaufman: There's this old building science adage where we say, build tight, ventilate, right? Passive House really embodies these two principles. Narrator: Zoe Kaufmann is a research engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory with a focus on energy efficient buildings, including Passive House. Zoe Kaufman: I would really focus on air tightness and mechanical ventilation as the core reasons why Passive House inherently is great for building around fires. Narrator: That's because during a wildfire, wind blown embers often enter homes through broken windows and attic vents. So sealing off the home and avoiding traditional methods of ventilation makes these homes safer. Andrew Michler: And works just like a regular door, except for when you close it. These clamps come out and grab the frame. Zoe Kaufman: And then you're filtering all of your air and providing balanced ventilation. All this is going to reduce all of these particles that are not wanted in your home. Andrew Michler: So each room is being delivered. Fresh air, 24 hours seven. Narrator: Andrew Mishler lost his home to a fire in Oakland in 1991, and that connection to the Marshall Fire inspired him to design a more affordable Passive House model, specifically for those who lost their homes, like the Sobtis. After some deliberation, the Sobtis have decided to rebuild their homes in their neighborhood. Amita Sobti: The whole rebuilding is to show the kids the resilience. You lose, you build again and you you build again better. Narrator: Finding Michler's Passive House option cemented their decision. Amita Sobti: So the whole idea of passive was already I was bought into it. I'm like, this is this is the way to do it. I'm going to do it. And fires are imminent. And this is, in my mind, a fire prone area. Wind has always been very high and felt in the houses. Narrator: The hope is that more homes in the neighborhood will sign up for the design because the more buildings that meet passive house standards in an area, the safer that area may become. Andrew Michler: So as each house becomes more resilient to fire, it protects the neighbors and the neighbors protect the neighborhood and the neighborhoods protect the community. So there's this kind of cascading effect. Every good decision making the homes better actually improves the entire community as a result.

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Weathering the future with Passive House construction

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Support Provided By

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