The built environment community will convene in Melbourne next month for the Australian Passivhaus Association’s annual THRIVE conference.
More than 300 delegates are expected to attend to learn about the latest technological advancements, gain expert-led insights, explore best practices and witness emerging opportunities in Passivhaus design and delivery.
In recent years the Australian Passivhaus Association (APA) has experienced significant growth, with a 40 per cent increase in membership and a 50 per cent year-on-year rise in the number of certified Passivhaus projects completed on Australian soil.
APA’s CEO, Stalin Chakrabarty, said while the Passivhaus movement has been around since the 1990s, the direction of the conference reflects this recent, steep uptake and a shift away from curiosity, cost analysis and early case studies to thinking about Passivhaus certification at scale.
“There is now a wide set of believers beyond the early evangelists of Passivhaus – and the benefits of exceptional comfort, healthy indoor air and energy efficiency are increasingly understood for the long-term value they deliver and the risks they help mitigate,” he said.
“At this year’s conference we’ll be celebrating the array of Passivhaus projects that have been completed in the last 12 months and explore how to build a compelling case for multi-res and commercial settings using monitored, real-world results and a clear customer value proposition, beyond just technical metrics.
“We’ve got an incredible array of speakers who can shed light on the early strategic moves that can drive cost parity for multi-residential Passivhaus projects within the context of the cost challenges facing the construction market.”
Chakrabarty said the evolution of Passivhaus in Australia is evidenced by the range of projects now being completed in many commercial or multi residential settings – including Australia’s first Passivhaus certified home in a retirement village by developer, Keyton, in the ACT.
“They say health is wealth – and while there is some cost premium for Passivhaus builds, we are encouraged by the discussions being had around long-term value on investment. Especially for assets where interest remains vested,” Chakrabarty said.
“The Keyton retirement village home is a blueprint for how Passivhaus can create more sustainable, comfortable and healthier homes for some of our most vulnerable citizens, while standing the test of time and holding considerable value.”
Chakrabarty said the APA maintains that certification under the internationally recognised Passivhaus Standard, governed by the Passive House Institute, remains the benchmark for verified high-performance, energy efficient, and healthy buildings.
However, he notes there is strong value in adopting any measurable improvements in energy efficiency, comfort, and indoor air quality, while ensuring any enhanced performance claims are communicated accurately and responsibly.
“We spent some time educating the sector last year on the importance of only claiming the Passivhaus Standard as and when it was met, but to also promote the alternative ways to express and celebrate a project’s sustainability achievements using the correct terminology,” he said.
“With the rise of adaptive reuse, we will be sharing more around EnerPHit certification at THRIVE, which provides an alternative qualification for retrofitted projects. And for other projects, that may not meet the Passivhaus standard, they may still work towards Certified PHI Low Energy Building status or stake their claim as a High Performing Building.”
Keyton CEO, Nathan Cockerill, said two members of his core development team – Head of Development, Jason Fitzgerald and National Sustainability Manager, Kaite Fallowfield – will be presenting at THRIVE to share their learnings from the project.
“This project wasn’t about chasing certification for its own sake, but about rigorously testing what high-performance housing means in practice, factoring in what the market wants, and using those lessons to help shape a more sustainable and commercially viable future for our sector,” he said.
“It highlighted that as an industry we have more work to do before every Passivhaus component translates directly to scale, but meaningful gains in performance, resilience and liveability are certainly within reach.”
The conference is supported by its Principal Partner: Bondor | Metecno; Gold Sponsor, BINQ; Silver partner, pro clima; and Bronze Partners: Oranik Consulting Engineers and Building Engineering.
An exhibition space featuring more than 20 manufacturers & suppliers to the Passivhaus ecosystem will also be open for the two days, allowing visitors to explore materials and solutions up close. Tickets for THRIVE 2026 are now on sale here. Full program details and speakers can be accessed at www.passivhausassociation.com.au