Passive Design: Simple Moves That Make Buildings Feel Better

The Principals Corner

I’m not a huge fan of winter and despite being born in Minneapolis I have a low tolerance for the cold. Our team and most of our clients are accustomed to seeing me wear a hat while on virtual calls. While I lov​e being able to experience the full range of seasons (for those that don’t know Minnesota can get hot and humid in the summers).
March is when I begin to feel the shift: longer light, softer edges, and the first real reminder, especially in the Upper Midwest, that “comfort” doesn’t have to mean “more layers.” The Minnesota winter is a fickle, unflinching, feisty beast and can stretch into April with ease.

​March always feels like the negotiation phase, sun on my face one day, sideways wind flowing through my jacket the next, which is exactly why we’re digging into Passive Design this month. For this regenerative principle we explore a simple idea:  the cleanest energy is the energy you never have to use . Energy efficiency often isn’t about doing a tech upgrade. It’s a design mindset that starts with the basics: orientation, daylight, shading, insulation, air sealing, thermal mass, ventilation, and user control all relative to the site, the place where these elements are needed. Before we add mechanical systems, we ask: can the building do more of the work by itself?

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Seeing The Bigger Picture

Buildings are more than just static structures; they are dynamic, energetic ecosystems,  brought alive through movement. They are also often nested into larger wholes of blocks, neighborhoods, areas, cities, counties, watersheds, etc. Each scale influences the needs and efficacy of the other. The heat that keeps us warm, the air that helps us breathe, the light that illuminates our spaces and the people who occupy spaces, these flows are critical to understand. When we ignore these natural movements, we end up fighting against physics, often with brute force: oversized HVAC systems, higher energy bills, and a diminished  level of comfort. When we design with these flows in mind, comfort becomes more easily achieved and more sustainable.
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The goal isn’t perfection, it’s alignment between needs and performance. By helping energy move where it’s useful, slowing it where it’s wasteful, and shaping conditions where people can thrive with less input, we can create spaces that are not only efficient but also harmonious. This approach isn’t just about saving energy; it’s about creating environments where people feel good, naturally.

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Passive Design in practice  

Passive design is an approach that uses natural elements, including but not limited to orientation, daylight, shading, insulation, air sealing, thermal mass, ventilation, and user control to heat, cool, and light spaces. Unlike active systems that rely on mechanical or electrical equipment, passive design works with the environment, materials and forms of a building to reduce energy consumption while enhancing comfort.
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At its core, passive design is about creating spaces that work with nature rather than against it. It’s about design choices that influence how energy flows through a building and creates harmony between people and their environment.  These strategies are place based, in other words not a one size fits all solution. Each strategy is carefully tuned to the environment being built in. By thoughtfully designing a building to respond to its specific climate, site, place, you can minimize the need for artificial heating, cooling, and lighting. So, what does passive design look like when put into practice?

As always nature is a fantastic place to look for examples of how humans can work with an environment. Biomimetic examples of heating, cooling, daylighting are both beautiful and inspirational for us.

On the certification and standards side of the work, Passive House is basically the “gold standard” version of passive design: the same common-sense ideas, just carried far enough that the comfort and energy savings are undeniable. The big shift is this: instead of relying on big mechanical systems to fix a leaky, inconsistent building, you start by making the building itself do the heavy lifting. Think of it like upgrading from a drafty canvas tent to a well-made winter coat. When the shell is right, the inside stays comfortable with far less effort.

Phius is a certification pathway that helps teams actually get there. It’s not about gadgets or fancy add-ons. It’s about getting the fundamentals right, then checking the work so it performs the way they said it would. For people living or working in the space, that tends to show up as fewer drafts, steadier temperatures, quieter rooms, cleaner fresh air, and lower utility bills, especially in climates like ours where winter loves to remind you who’s in charge.

Passive Design Examples:

1. Eastgate Center - Zimbabwe
2. The Energon - Ulm, Germany
3. 2025 Phius Passive Projects Design Competition Winners​

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​The Thread That Binds - Energy Flows

At the heart of this philosophy is the reality of energy flows, which recognizes that energy is always in motion, and our job as designers, builders, and occupants is to work with that motion, not against it. When we design for flow, we can achieve the same (or better) results with less effort and fewer resources.

For example, consider the way heat moves through a building. If we don’t account for this movement, we might find ourselves cranking up the heat in winter or blasting the air conditioning in summer, all while the building leaks energy through poorly insulated walls, roofs, or windows. By understanding and addressing these flows—through better insulation, strategic shading, or airtight construction—we can reduce the need for mechanical intervention and create a more comfortable indoor environment.

The same principle applies to air movement. Poor ventilation can lead to stuffy, uncomfortable spaces, while over-ventilation wastes energy and may feel drafty. By designing for natural airflow and using mechanical systems only when necessary, we can strike a balance that feels effortless and efficient.

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What Passive Design Looks Like in Practice at Tikun

Some designers put more focus on aesthetics than how a building feels. When questions like, “how can the building feel better, be healthier and cost less to manage?” are asked, we can have a more powerful impact on the people that use them. When designing buildings we like to keep the following key questions in mind to help us align with the natural flow of energy:

1. Where could the building be losing energy first?
   Is it through the roof, walls, windows, or air leakage? Identifying the weakest points in the building envelope is the first step toward improving efficiency.
2. How can daylight do more work?
   Natural light is a free and abundant resource, but it needs to be managed carefully to avoid glare or overheating. We’ll explore strategies for maximizing daylight while minimizing its downsides.
3. What does comfort look like in different seasons?
   Summer comfort doesn’t have to mean constant arctic blasts, and winter comfort doesn’t have to mean broiling in oppressive heat. We’ll look at ways to create balanced, consistent comfort year-round.
4. Where can simple moves outperform expensive add-ons?
   Sometimes, the most effective solutions are also the simplest. Shading, sealing, insulation continuity, ventilation strategies, and zoning can often deliver better results than costly, complex systems.
5. How do we make efficiency legitimate to occupants?
   A building that’s easy to live in and easy to run is more likely to be used efficiently. We’ll explore ways to make energy flows visible and intuitive for occupants.

These questions and more help guide our approach to building design, helping us focus on the highest-leverage moves that deliver the biggest comfort gains and cost reductions with the least mechanical complexity.

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An Invitation

If you’re planning a renovation, addition, or new build this year, we invite you to think differently about your project. Instead of starting with mechanical systems or high-tech solutions, start with this simple prompt: “How can we work with the place (climate) for this building to be comfortable before we turn anything on?”

This question shifts the focus from force to flow, from compensating for inefficiencies to designing for alignment. It encourages thinking about the building as a whole system, where every element, from the roof to the foundation, plays a role in creating comfort and efficiency.

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