Passive House: Principles, Performance and Practical Application

About this episode

Dean Ipaviz interviews Daniel Kress about the principles and practical applications of Passive House in residential construction.

Passive House is one of the most misunderstood concepts in residential construction... often dismissed as “too expensive,” “too European,” or “not suited to Australian climates.” In this episode, Dean sits down with Daniel Kress, founder of Smart Plus Academy, to talk about what Passive House is, how it works, and why builders need to understand it. Drawing on decades of experience across Germany, Ireland, Canada and Australia, Daniel explains the building physics behind comfort, airtightness, moisture control and energy use, and why most Australian homes still get these fundamentals wrong. The conversation also explores cost myths, window performance, the limits of NatHERS, and how better design-build integration can dramatically reduce construction risk. It’s a practical, builder-level conversation about performance, process, and why understanding Passive House principles can make you a better builder. In this episode: Daniel’s journey from German carpentry and prefab construction to Passive House education Why Passive House works in all climates, including Australia The science of comfort: temperature, humidity, CO₂ and health outcomes Airtightness explained The difference…

People in this episode

Host: Dean Ipaviz

Guest: Daniel Kress

Topics covered

• Passive House
• residential construction
• building physics
• energy efficiency
• design-build integration

Keywords

• comfort
• airtightness
• moisture control
• energy use
• Australian homes

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Passive House, Smart Plus Academy

Places: Germany, Ireland, Canada, Australia

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