When people hear the term “passive house,” (or passivhaus) they often think of passive solar design, which uses the sun to naturally heat a home. While harnessing the sun’s energy for free heat is a core principle, it’s not as simple as just letting all the sunlight in.
In fact, a well-insulated, airtight home can easily get too much solar gain, leading to overheating. This forces the home to use more energy for cooling than it would have otherwise, defeating the purpose of a passive house. The goal of passive house design is to find a balance between all the different elements to drastically reduce energy consumption.
The Role of Awnings and Architectural Shading
The Midwest climate presents unique challenges, with extreme temperatures in both winter and summer. The sun’s radiant heat can be a blessing in the winter, but it can also be powerful enough to overheat a well-insulated building. In the hot, humid months of summer, especially July and August, the goal is to keep direct sunlight out of the home completely.
This is where architectural solutions like sun shades and awnings come in. They are a simple yet highly effective way to manage solar gain. For example, the awnings on the ZF House above are not only beautiful but also provide water protection over doorways.
Another great example is the Mt. Airy Passive House (shown below). Its awnings are strategically designed to block all direct sun for six weeks before and after the summer solstice. They then gradually allow more sunlight to enter the home as the seasons change, reaching full solar gain by the winter solstice when the heat is most needed.
The Benefits of Covered Outdoor Spaces
Beyond awnings, another fantastic option is creating covered outdoor spaces. These areas provide a sheltered place to live and also offer structured shade for nearby windows. We often design these to face south and west in the Cincinnati area to maximize their shading benefits, though site-specific needs can lead to different layouts. This integrated approach ensures that a home is comfortable year-round without relying on excessive heating and cooling.