Niwat Architects was founded on 1972 by Dr.Niwat Tantayanusorn. With a focus on Lanna culture, Niwat Architects has designed dozens of buildings, mainly residential and hotel&resort.The cultural and environmental based designs are spread all over the Thailand, mainly in northern part of the country.Architect in Chiangmai,Architects in Chiangmai,Chiangmai Architects,Sustainable Architecture Chiangmai,Lanna Architecture Chiangmai,Contemporary ,Architecture Chiangmai,Architecture Office Chiangmai,Passive Architecture Design Chiangmai,Green Architecture Chiangmai,Environmental Architecture Changmai,Northern Thailand Architecture,Hotel and Resort Architecture Chiangmai,Residential Architecture Chiangmai,House Design Chiangmai,Eco-House Architecture Chiangmai,Thai Local Architecture Office Chiangmai,Northern Thailand Architecture Office,Lanna Architecture Chiangmai

1. Passive House Design resource efficient, comfortable, and healthy
Littlewolf Architecture - Passive House Design - Northeast Region, New England, Massachusetts,NewYork,
Connecticut - Berkshires(Berkshire) Architect,Columbia CountyArchitect,Litchfield County Architect
What is Passive House Design?
Passive House is an approach to home design that minimizes the energy requiredfor heating and cooling. It is a system
that has been developed and tested in Europe (Passivhaus) for over 15 years with great success in energy savingsand
homeowner satisfaction. Well designedPassive Houses are extremely resource efficient, comfortable,and healthy.
Photo © Littlewolf Architecture
What are the basic features of Passive House?
Passive House sets specific targets for the heating & cooling demand, based on the treated floor area. High levels of
insulation are requiredfor coldclimates to keep the heat in. Very tight construction is required to minimize heat loss and
air movement through the envelope.
Controlled fresh air supply is requiredfor occupant health and comfort. These features create a home in which the internal
temperature is consistantly healthy andcomfortable, and in which the possibility of condensation, mold, and other building
failures is greatly reduced.
How does Passive House compare with typicalconstruction or green building?
There are many aspects to 'sustainable' or 'green' building design including site & orientation; material use & recycling;

2. energy use; water conservation; reduction of CO2 footprint; and indoor air quality. Passive House focuses onenergy use,
specifically that required for heating & cooling, andas such is a cornerstone of good design and building practice.
All the decisions that go into creating an efficient plan, good solar orientation and shading, super-insulation, super-tight
construction, fresh ventilation air - are essential to Passive House and are reflected in the hard data of a specific energy
budget for heating, cooling and ventilation. As comparedwith 'building to code',Passive House design can reduce the
energyrequired for heating & cooling your home by up to 80%.
What about active solar power, geothermal power,passive solar and other alternative energy sources?
Passive House concentrates onreducing the primaryenergy demand. It is common sense to reduce the energy demand as
much as possible, and take advantage of free solar radiation, prior to installing expensive alternative energy systems.
Passive House applies this approach in a rigorous manner. Building orientation, local solar and climate data, heatgain
through windows, and the necessity of summer shading are all factored into the energy demand.With Passive House
design, if and when photovaltaics and/or solar hot water systems are installed, theycan be smaller systems and have a
greater impact on the energy budget due to the highefficiency of the building envelope.
Photo © Littlewolf Architecture
All of this sounds great.But how much is it going to cost, and what if I have an existing home?
Super-insulation, air-tightness, high performance windows, mechanical ventilation- all have an increased up-front cost
compared to 'baseline'construction. But the benefits are enormous: less energy use over the lifetime of your home; a
healthy and comfortable indoor environment; reduced mechanical systems and maintenance cost. These benefits will only
compound as utility and fossil fuel costs increase. Deep Energy Retrofits apply these same principles to existing homes
undergoing major renovations (i.e. new siding & windows).Passive House upgrades can also be phased-in over time. The

3. key is a planning strategy that allows for future upgradeswithout compromising work already done.
Photo © Littlewolf Architecture
I want to know more about Passive House
Compass
Littlewolf Architecture isa northeast regional practice located in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. Our
primary focus is new home design, and renovations & additions to existinghomes. All project types provide the
opportunity to create beautiful living environments. Muchof our work is set in the natural andrural Berkshire,Columbia,
and LitchfieldCounty landscapes, andwe take our design cues from that envirmonment. Of vital importance is the
sequence of approach, entry,and movement througha home that createsa narrative of daily use. A strongand meaningful
connection to the outdoors is essential whether a new home be set in the woods, fields, or within atown. A neighborhood
provides a reference, but the larger environment of sun, sky, and ground provide timelesscompass points for design. The
integrity of architecture lies in gathering together the environmental, practical,creative and personal influences ona
project, resulting in a balanced design that is more that the sum of its parts.
Commodity & Process
Small is beautiful and the jacket needs to fit well. Custom home design requires tailoring a projectfor a particular dweller,
program and site, yet providing a general adaptability for the legacy of a project. The process begins with drawing simple
layouts and adjacencies, rooms for gatheringand privacy,organizing features and good spatialflow.The design should
provide for movement and repose,for reaching into the environment, and for protected shelter.Solar orientation,
topography, context,and the microclimate must be considered tocreate a balance of view, daylight,shading, and heat
retention. At the same time, the creative spark of designmust be present toinvite a unique solution for this place and time.

4. A well-built shell comes next with super-insulation, high-R windows, air-sealing, and ventilation. We take a holistic
approach to passive andactive heating andcooling systems, emphasizing the integrationof all building systems to create a
comfortable and healthy New England home.
reference www.littlewolfarch.com