Tagged thermal envelope
DesignPH: the SketchUp plug-in to design Passive Houses in 3D
We finally had the chance to test DesignPH, the SketchUp plug-in that allows you to carry out the preliminary design of passive buildings in 3D. Once the model is created, you can export the data to PHPP (the energy balance software for passive house design), to further the energy design in depth.
Even though this plug-in has been available on the market for a couple of years, since version 8.5 of PHPP, our recent meetings with passive house professionals tell us that this tool is not yet very widespread. It is the case of Italy, as well as the impression we got from our recent trip to the USA.
Our visit to the Rocky Mountain Institut
During our recent trip to Colorado, we had the chance to visit the Rocky Mountain Institute in Snowmass, founded in 1982 by Amory Lovins as a research institute in matters such as sustainability, energy, and efficient use of resources.
The original headquarters of the Institute, that has now become Lovins’ residence, is one of the first passive buildings ever built in the world.
