BuildLA presents Passive House as a solution
BuildLA is working to make passive house design the new standard across Los Angeles. The nonprofit organization, Build LA is dedicated to facilitating recovery and rebuilding efforts in Los Angeles following the wildfires of January 2025. According to their website, “The initiative emphasizes fire safety, equity, and sustainability to foster a resilient future for the community.” The nonprofit works to assist in labor, supply, financing and development for rebuilding safter across Los Angeles.
Andreas M. Benzing, co-founder of A.M.Benzing Architects and BuildLA published a white paper arguing that the airtight envelope of a Passive House could help save structures from the flames while improving quality of life for residents.
“If an airtight building envelope—paired with an energy-positive design—can slash energy use by up to 90%, enhance healthy airflow, quiet our spaces, and, crucially, save lives with fire resistance…maybe it’s time we rewrite the rules. Let’s make this the world standard,” Benzing wrote in the study.
The design is extremely efficient because it prioritizes superinsulation, airtight construction, high-performance windows and doors, elimination of thermal bridge and a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery. Benzing looks to build on a larger scale to enhance efficiency and combat wildfire destruction. “There is a clear link between a building and that wildfire—the fire fed on oxygen inside the homes, causing mind-blowing damage. If the building had an air-tight envelope, it would be more fire resistant,” said Benzing.
