NEW HAVEN, CONN.—The 2026 Passive House Network Conference, held on June 4 & 5 in New Haven, Conn., invites Passive House architects, designers, developers, and other building enthusiasts from around the world to exchange ideas, share experience, and accelerate the adoption of the world’s most rigorous building efficiency standard. Hosted by The Passive House Network (PHN), the conference highlights the Passive House standard as a solution to the variety of housing, climate, and cost challenges facing the building industry today.
The event will take place at Hotel Marcel, the first Passive House Certified Hotel in the country—an ideal building to act as both host and exemplar for this event. Opened in 2022, the all-electric building features EV charging stations, a solar-paneled parking lot, and a gas-free kitchen. The brutalist masterpiece was originally completed in 1970 as a corporate headquarters by Marcel Breuer before its renovation to the Passive House EnerPHit standard and rebirth as an award-winning hotel. Experts involved in the renovation will attend the conference, including Bruce Becker, the architect, developer, and owner of the building.
“We’re inviting everyone to profit by experience, because there is nothing more valuable than shared experience,” said Ken Levenson, Executive Director of PHN. “Practitioners around the world are finding that Passive House is the way forward for comfortable, sustainable, and resilient buildings.”
“It seemed to me that this was a perfect opportunity to build a hotel that really was part of the solution to the climate crisis,” Becker said. “I’m happy to take what I’ve learned and share it with architects and developers who have the same goals, and the 2026 PHN Conference is the perfect place to do that.”
A Showcase of Passive House Buildings
Other highlights of the conference program include a showcase of Passive House buildings from around the world, including senior housing in Spain, social housing in Ireland, and a New York University student residence retrofit. The conference will showcase developments in building materials, like adobe and mass timber, and highlight how Passive House makes financial sense by increasing value and providing climate resilience.
“We’re inviting everyone to profit by experience, because there is nothing more valuable than shared experience,” said Ken Levenson, Executive Director of PHN. “Practitioners around the world are finding that Passive House is the way forward for comfortable, sustainable, and resilient buildings. This conference will celebrate that and share these discoveries so everyone can benefit from a better built environment.”
Over 30 expert speakers will share their perspectives during the two-day event. Registration is now open, and a full program is available to view on the Conference Webpage.
For more information on The Passive House Network, visit https://passivehousenetwork.org/ or e-mail kim@passivehousenetwork.org.
