The Passive House movement is becoming a growing trend in the construction industry. Indeed, the idea of building the most energy efficient house has finally become a reality, and the movement is increasingly inspiring builders to improve their projects.
The Passive House concept has achieved a certain notoriety in Europe. It actually comes from Germany, where they call it Passivhaus. However, it has just recently reached the mainstream market in North America. One of the companies pioneering the movement is Ecocor, the first certified Passive House component manufacturer outside of Europe.
There is one Passive House project we’re really proud of supporting and in which Ecocor is taking part. It is being built by TeamMTL for an international competition in China. I think it is the perfect incarnation of the Passive House spirit and clearly demonstrates how realistic and significant an environmentally sustainable house is nowadays. It also is an eloquent example of how the all-wood, open joist TIFORCE® can enhance the performance of a construction.
A new era of passive houses
We have moved away from the off-the-grid utopias and builders now strive to integrate a fully sustainable house within an urban setting. The challenge is a technological one, and the eco-friendly house has become a high-performance construction that integrates the latest technologies. A Passive House is a combination of art and science.
One way of maximizing the efficiency of a project is to have parts and components prefabricated off-site. This allows for better quality control and, in turn, for higher building performance. Besides, it also reduces time spent on-site, lowers costs, and makes the entire project more straightforward.
Nowadays, the Passive House spirit has become a sort of driving force behind the building industry. It quantifiably reduces the environmental footprint of buildings, which is great. But more importantly for builders, it proves that building sustainably can be profitable, more efficient, and more comfortable for the end-user.
Making the right choice with TRIFORCE®
There is value in opting for the right components. As George Reefer, Construction Manager at Ecocor, explains in the video above, TRIFORCE® plays an important role in minimizing the time spent on site. Indeed, the TRIFORCE® is much lighter than a typical joist, which makes it easy to carry around and manipulate. Furthermore, its open web design makes it much simpler to run utilities and plumbing.
But despite its light weight and open design, TRIFORCE® is still robust. Robust enough, in fact, to have lengths that cover up to 32 feet. Its all-wood construction, on the other hand, makes it an eco-friendly alternative to other floor systems.
TRIFORCE® truly is a transforming building experience. It enables builders to take their project to a higher level, benefiting themselves, their clients… and everyone!
