Super Green Affordable Housing Introduces Passive Design to the Masses

From the street, there is nothing about the Belfield Avenue Townhomes in North Philadelphia that gives the development away as a subsidized housing project. The modular edifice has a white-and-mint-green facade and solar arrays on the roof, and each of its three town houses features bamboo floors, stainless-steel Bosch appliances, and recessed lighting. But the development, commissioned by the nonprofit Raise of Hope, not only represents an attractive, comfortable housing option for moderate-income families, it’s also a certified Passive House. Built to a strict set of design standards, it is so well insulated and airtight that each unit is expected to consume just a quarter of the energy of a traditional house.