Passive House Bruck

Passive House Bruck sets new standards of sustainability through the design of a passive house in Southern China: Passive House Bruck is the first housing of its kind to be realized in the country’s damp, warm, southern climate with approximately 95% energy saving.

Passive House Bruck is a pilot project, and demonstrates the potential of passive house standards in China. The design, as detailed in the execution drawings, was planned by Peter Ruge Architekten in Germany to improve and implement innovative, energy saving and sustainable building practices in China. The architects were supported by the engineers of the Passive House Institute Dr. Feist in Germany. It is a flagship project by the recognized Chinese real estate development group Landsea, and the core of the establishment of a research and development centre in Changxing, west of Shanghai.

The five-storey apartment complex accommodates in approximately 2,200 m2 36 one-room staff flats, 6 two-room executive suites and 4 three-bedroom model apartments. The flats have been planned so that Chinese families interested in the benefits of sustainable housing could be provided with an opportunity to temporarily reside in the building. Through this direct experience, prospective clients are able to gain their own understanding of what passive house living has to offer, as the building demonstrates maximum comfort and quality of residence. The aim is to reduce any prior reservations regarding the success of passive house design in extreme weather conditions.

The project was officially certified, with a primary energy consumption of only 106 kWh / m² in the summer of 2014 by the Passive House Institute Darmstadt, as the first passive house residential building in southern China. Also, it became as the first realized project in China the gold certification of the DGNB (German Sustainable Building Council) 2015. Peter Ruge Architekten have been given the gold medal of the World Green Design Awards 2014 for the design of the building.

Landsea Europe R&D GmbH

Peter Ruge Architekten

Structural & Services engineering: Shanghai Landsea Planning&Architecture Design Co.,Ltd.
Thermal structural physics: Passivhaus Institut (PHI)
Building quality assurance: Drees & Sommer Sustainable Engineering Consulting (Shanghai) Co.,Ltd.
DGNB certification consulting: Energydesign(Shanghai) Co.,Ltd.
Building quality workshop: Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (DENA)
Building contractor: Jiangsu Nantong Erjian Group Co.,Ltd.
Blower door test: Ingenieurbüro Meyer-Olbersleben