flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Boston’s new stretch code requires new multifamily structures to meet Passive House building requirements

Multifamily Housing

Boston’s new stretch code requires new multifamily structures to meet Passive House building requirements

Phius certifications are expected to increase with tougher green building standards.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | May 30, 2023
Boston’s new stretch code requires new multifamily structures to meet Passive House building requirements

Photo by David Bartus

Phius certifications are expected to become more common as states and cities boost green building standards.

The City of Boston recently adopted Massachusetts’s so-called opt-in building code, a set of sustainability standards that goes beyond the standard state code.

“Starting January 1, 2024, every new multifamily building built in Boston must meet passive building requirements, with Phius certification representing the most established path to reach those requirements,” according to a Phius news release.

Boston’s action made it the eighth, and by far the largest, Massachusetts municipality to adopt the code, with many others expected to follow suit. Buildings that meet the Phius Certification standard are proven to use 40% to 60% less energy than code-built buildings at minimal to no upfront cost premium, Phius says.

Boston is the first major U.S. city to adopt a building code that requires passive building standards.

Related Stories

| Jun 10, 2014

Built-in balcony: New skylight windows can fold out to create a patio

Roof window manufacturer Fakro offers a skylight window system that quickly converts into an open-air balcony.

| Jun 9, 2014

Green Building Initiative launches Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors program

The new program focuses exclusively on the sustainable design and construction of interior spaces in nonresidential buildings and can be pursued by both building owners and individual lessees of commercial spaces.

Sponsored | | Jun 4, 2014

Fiber cement panels bridge historic and modern at Minneapolis apartment complex

The design team for the Third North apartment complex specified Nichiha’s Illumination Series architectural panels in a blend of six colors—divided into swaths of reds and swaths of grays—that combine with a rectilinear shape to complement nearby brick.

| Jun 3, 2014

Libeskind's latest skyscraper breaks ground in the Philippines

The Century Spire, Daniel Libeskind's latest project, has just broken ground in Century City, southwest of Manila. It is meant to accommodate apartments and offices.

| Jun 2, 2014

Parking structures group launches LEED-type program for parking garages

The Green Parking Council, an affiliate of the International Parking Institute, has launched the Green Garage Certification program, the parking industry equivalent of LEED certification.

| May 30, 2014

MIT researchers create 'home in a box' transformable wall system for micro apartments

Dubbed CityHome, the system integrates furniture, storage, exercise equipment, lighting, office equipment, and entertainment systems into a compact wall unit. 

| May 30, 2014

Developer will convert Dallas' storied LTV Building into mixed-use residential tower

New Orleans-based HRI Properties recently completed the purchase of one of the most storied buildings in downtown Dallas. The developer will convert the LTV Building into a mixed-use complex, with 171 hotel rooms and 186 luxury apartments.

| May 29, 2014

7 cost-effective ways to make U.S. infrastructure more resilient

Moving critical elements to higher ground and designing for longer lifespans are just some of the ways cities and governments can make infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters and climate change, writes Richard Cavallaro, President of Skanska USA Civil.

| May 29, 2014

Wood advocacy groups release 'lessons learned' report on tall wood buildings

The wood-industry advocacy group reThink Wood has released "Summary Report: Survey of International Tall Wood Buildings," with informatino from 10 mid-rise projects in Europe, Australia, and Canada. 

| May 28, 2014

Moshe Safdie's twin residential towers in Singapore will be connected by 'sky pool' 38 stories in the air [slideshow]

Moshe Safdie's latest project, a pair of 38-story luxury residential towers in Singapore, will be linked by three "sky garden" bridges, including a rooftop-level bridge with a lap pool running the length between the two structures. 

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021