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Better Air, Better Homes: Applying Passive House Principles to Any Project
Reading time: 4 minutess
Is it possible to build a home that’s both beautifully designed and exceptionally efficient?
That’s the central question driving today’s high-performance home movement. Passive House design prioritizes energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and overall health. It’s a holistic approach to building that results in homes that are not only functional but also deeply sustainable. While some homeowners are drawn to the performance benefits of Passive House, many also want architecturally personalized elements that make certification difficult. Luxury builders are increasingly blending Passive House principles with design-forward thinking. These designs, known as “Wellness homes” (or spaces) prioritize health, comfort, and efficiency without necessarily pursuing full Passive House certification.
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To explore this balance, we spoke with Alex Cross, a luxury home builder in Utah, and Troy Howard of Central Valley Mechanical. Their work on Project One—the world’s largest single-family home certified by PHIUS CORE—offers a compelling case study in merging performance with design. While Project One sets a high bar, many builders are now applying PHIUS principles in more flexible ways. The wellness home movement is gaining traction, offering a middle ground where form and function coexist.
What’s in a Wellness Home?
Wellness homes are gaining traction among luxury builders and homeowners who prioritize comfort, health, and design. While Passive House standards emphasize energy efficiency and airtightness, wellness homes take a more flexible approach, prioritizing comfort and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) at the forefront. While wellness homes are not a certification, they are a design philosophy that encompasses most of what Passive House aims to accomplish.
That doesn’t mean they sacrifice performance.
Homes or spaces like these are growing in popularity within the luxury custom homes market. If we consider what a Passive House is, wellness is at the core of that. So, one way to improve wellness is to ensure the building envelope is tight and well-insulated. When occupants move in, this building concept creates a more even and consistent temperature throughout the home.
Luxury Home Builder
A tight, well-insulated envelope is just the beginning. Builders can enhance wellness by integrating additional IEQ features, such as:
Dedicated ventilation systems that ensure fresh air circulation independent of heating and cooling cycles
Advanced air filtration beyond standard HVAC filters, targeting allergens and pollutants
Acoustic design that reduces noise pollution and promotes tranquility
Natural light strategies that support circadian rhythms and improve mood
These elements create homes that feel familiar, healthy, and comfortable. And while they may not meet every Passive House criterion, wellness homes still embody the spirit of smarter building through intentional air and envelope strategies.
The Importance of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
For builders like Alex, indoor air quality (IAQ) is a recommendation on every build and is one of the major factors that influence wellness. The western United States faces seasonal air quality challenges that lead to both uncomfortable and largely uncontrollable conditions.
During the winter, Salt Lake City encounters a phenomenon called ‘inversion’, which traps cold, polluted air near the ground,” Alex explained. “In the summer months, we see wildfires, where smoke fills the air. The particulates that arise from the smoke are especially harmful.
These regional environmental hazards are a concern for homebuyers. And while not every client is ready to pursue full Passive House certification, Alex knows wellness begins with smart building strategies.
Many people will not be interested in going all the way with certification. Even so, wellness doesn’t begin with certification. A well-insulated building envelope and dedicated fresh air ventilation ports with added filtration will drastically improve the indoor atmosphere during these extreme weather events.
Furthermore, by including fresh air with heating and cooling systems, builders can ensure consistent airflow within the space and reduce occupant exposure to pollutants. These systems create a connection through the protective barrier between occupants and the outside world, making the home an indoor oasis with outdoor attributes.
The Impact of Building Better Homes
Building to a green standard may not be the focus for a builder. However, when homes are built better, not only do they improve occupant comfort and incorporate smarter choices for long-term livability, but they also reduce building pollution. Globally, buildings account for nearly 40% of total emissions. By building for wellness, we inadvertently help reduce pollution.
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Pollution and Energy Use
When we compare new homes of today to a standard, we can use the HERS® Index for an accurate reading. A standard new home built to a HERS Index of 100 meets only the 2006 energy-efficiency baseline, with lower scores signifying better energy efficiency. For example, a 14,000 sq. ft. home outfitted with six forced-air furnaces can generate significant pollution. In regions like Utah, where the electrical grid is still heavily coal-powered, the energy required to cool such a home adds to the environmental burden. Smarter envelope strategies, such as better insulation and air sealing, can drastically reduce the energy load, even in large luxury homes.
Occupant Comfort and Health
Another impact of building better is the improvement on occupant lives. Alex told us, "At the end of the day, if you aren’t building luxury Passive Homes, indoor air quality is the number one thing you can improve for your customers,” said one builder.
Everything off-gasses. Anytime you can have ventilation separate from air conditioning, it’s going to improve the quality of life for the occupants.
A tighter building envelope helps keep pollutants and pests out. In the event of a power outage, it helps maintain indoor temperature longer, offering a layer of safety and comfort. These aren’t abstract benefits—they’re tangible improvements that homeowners feel every day.
Poorly designed homes can even contribute to sick-home syndrome, where indoor environments trigger health issues due to poor ventilation, off-gassing materials, or mold. Troy Howard frequently works with Alex and assists in bringing Alex’s vision to reality. As the general manager at Central Valley Mechanical, he’s seen his fair share of extraordinary (think GeoThermal and Radiant heating systems) HVAC systems. He describes the HVAC and ventilation components as one system and explains how to develop a successful one.
The builder can tell us to add one component to the system that may be a considerable upgrade, but what other problems will that introduce?” Troy continued, “When I look at a system, I make sure to communicate that longer run cycles are desirable for efficiency. In our dry climate, we control humidity through air exchange, and of course, recommend ventilating when we build this tight.
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Ultimately, building better homes requires the construction team to think holistically about systems, materials, and how people actually live in the space. And while Passive House sets the gold standard, even partial adoption of its principles can yield meaningful results. When engagement with the team starts early, a precedent is set. This encourages constant communication moving forward.
Engagement with the Team
One of the most overlooked steps in building better homes is early collaboration, working with subs, and setting the standard during the hiring process. Mechanical systems are often treated as a final step in the design process, but if you're aiming for high-performance outcomes, they need to be part of the conversation from day one.
We all know the mechanical code requires us to size systems appropriately,” Alex told us. “But if you want to take it to the next level, talk to your client and engage with your mechanical contractor early.
This kind of proactive engagement allows builders to design systems that align with the home's envelope strategy, ventilation goals, and overall wellness objectives. It also helps avoid costly redesigns or mismatched components later in the build. Just as important is engaging with the client. By aligning the mechanical strategy with both the building envelope and the homeowner’s priorities, builders can deliver homes that feel intentional, integrated, and truly livable.
Conclusion
Building better homes doesn’t require rigid adherence to certification; it requires intentionality. Whether pursuing full Passive House standards or embracing the flexibility of wellness homes, the path forward is rooted in smarter air and envelope strategies.
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Project One proves what’s possible at the highest level of performance. But as Alex Cross and Troy Howard have shown, the principles behind Passive House—airtightness, insulation, ventilation, and filtration—can be adapted to meet the needs of luxury clients without compromising comfort or design.
Wellness homes offer a middle ground: homes that feel good, function well, and respond to the realities of climate, grid limitations, and occupant health. By engaging early with sub-contractors, thinking holistically about systems, and prioritizing indoor air quality, builders can create spaces that truly support the people who live in them.
When homes are built better, families thrive. Building better isn’t about saving the world. it’s about improving the lives of the people inside. And that starts with smarter choices, made early and made well. When designing your next project, what’s one Passive House principle you could apply to your next project?
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