Delivering large Passivhaus buildings: Site Supervisor & Construction Verifier training

Large and complex Passivhaus buildings: reducing risk and reigning in cost overruns through practical online training

“Your course has saved me at least 20,000 € in construction costs”

This was the feedback we got from the developer of a small multi-residential building we consulted on, following the online Site Supervisor course we gave to his team. The building was developed, designed, and built by a team with no prior experience in Passivhaus and has now achieved Passivhaus Classic certification.

Lack of experience increases the risk of cost overruns during the construction phase- particularly in relation to the execution of the airtight layer and achieving the required result in the final Blower Door test. Our experience with Site Supervisor and Construction Verifier training is that the courses provide architects and engineers with the tools they need for successful site supervision and navigation of the certification process, and deliver important on-site savings for developers and contractors. 

Another client, FIATC Residencias, who are developing 7 elderly people’s residencies that are all aiming for Passivhaus certification, have made our Site Supervisor and Construction Verifier course obligatory for the contractors, installers, and design teams on each project, with 3 courses held to date. In the course satisfaction survey, one student reported:

“I particularly want to highlight how useful it was to get all of us who’ll be working on-site together on the course, including both civil works and mechanical and electrical contractors”. 

Bridging the gap between Passivhaus design and Passivhaus construction: online Site Supervisor & Construction Verifier training

According to the PHI database, as of 2023, there were over 700 certified Passivhaus Designers in Spain and over 1300 Passivhaus Tradesperson, compared with 195 and 25 respectively in Germany. This suggests that Passivhaus design and tradesperson training has got off to a good start in the construction sector.

Praxis uses proprietary course material, based on abundant practical examples of on-site situations using photographs and videos. During each course, there are always two trainers, one giving the content and another attending the live chat, launching surveys, and posting references to documentation on the online campus, where 77 technical articles, guides and how-to documents are available for reading and download. A forum in the online campus provides a space for participants to ask questions, exchange ideas, and generate debate. The participants on our courses are often from very different countries and technical backgrounds, providing a rich and diverse learning environment.The Site Supervisor course consists of 4 modules, while the Construction Verifier course includes 8 modules, with the courses held concurrently.

Summary of the modules for each course and their content

Course	Course	Module	Content
Construction Verifier		1	Navigating Passivhaus Certification
Construction Verifier		2	Navigating Passivhaus Certification
Construction Verifier	Site Supervisor	3	Insulation and thermal bridges
Construction Verifier	Site Supervisor	4	Windows, doors and curtain walls
Construction Verifier	Site Supervisor	6	Airtightness
Construction Verifier	Site Supervisor	6	Mechanical & electrical services
Construction Verifier		7	Commissioning
Construction Verifier		8	Monitoring & performance verification

Every online session includes a guest speaker, presenting a specific technical issue relating to the module in question. Both during and at the end of each session, multiple choice questions are presented online to the students, to consolidate learning and generate debate and reflection. Each online session is also recorded and made available for watching offline, with attendees commenting that they found them to be a useful resource for reviewing and taking notes after the online classes. Additionally, and to provide networking opportunities, we offer site visits for all students, so they can see a Passivhaus building under construction in the month or two following the course.

Feedback

Each course includes on online student satisfaction survey. Some of the answers provide by students are shown below:

Filling the gap for a successful execution of large and complex Passivhaus buildings

Official Passivhaus Site Supervisor and Construction Verifier courses come in: they are especially designed to fill that gap, helping contractors, installers, site managers and tradespeople in the successful execution of large and complex Passivhaus buildings, on time, on budget, and compliant with Passivhaus certification. 

The growth in Passivhaus construction in Spain in recent years has been significant: in 2021, Spain was ranked 2^nd in the world after China, with the most square meters of floor space certified to the Passivhaus standard. Increasingly, larger, and more complex Passivhaus buildings are being designed or retrofitted, tendered and built by large “mainstream” contractors and installers who often have little experience in executing Passivhaus buildings. The Site Supervisor and Construction Verifier courses provide contractors, installers, site managers and tradespeople with the knowledge they need for the successful execution of large and complex Passivhaus buildings.