Building a Passive House ― The Architect's Logbook

This book describes step-by-step the entire building process of a passive, energy-efficient house in a Mediterranean climate. It chronicles the creation of the Fiorita Passive House in Cesena, Italy, offering designers valuable tips and practical advice for their own projects. Written as a logbook, it not only provides essential technical information but is also an exciting story of the challenges encountered and the solutions that were found.

“How and where do I start when building a passive house? Do I need consultants? Will it cost too much? What precautions should I take in a Mediterranean region? What tools do I need? I want to build in wood, but what technical solutions should I use? What must I do regarding plants and equipment? And then, finally, will it really work?” These and many other questions filled the head of the author and designer when he tried his hand at building a passive house in the Mediterranean.

The designer, S. Piraccini, had long sought a book that would answer these answers – in vain. So he decided to brave these dangerous waters alone, and after successfully completing his project, he decided to write a book to help others in the same situation. The book is accompanied by detailed information on building physics and HVAC systems by his fellow architect, K. Fabbri.

Kristian Fabbri. (Lecco, 1974) Architect and freelance architect and consultant on building energy performance, indoor environmental quality, thermal comfort, heritage and energy efficiency. Qualified Associate Professor Sector 09/C2 Environmental Physics and Nuclear Engineering ASN 2013. Consultant of the Emilia-Romagna Region (Public Bodies), SMEs and trade and professional organisations. Adjunct Professor in Environmental Physics and Building Simulation Technique at the Department of Architecture at the University of Bologna (ITALY). He has also conducted research and issued publications in the same fields, publishing more than 150 papers in international and national scientific journals, as well as books and technical manuals. In 2015 he published for SPRINGER International Publishing, the book: Fabbri K, Indoor thermal comfort perception. A Questionnaire Approach Focusing on Children, ISBN: 9783319186504.