Certified Passive House Designer, Sydney.
A passive house is proven on a computer long before it is proven on site. The person who does that proving is a Certified Passive House Designer. Here is what they do, and how Marvel makes sure every passive house we build is independently modelled and certified by one.
The role
Accredited to prove a design will perform.
A Certified Passive House Designer (CPHD) is accredited by the Passive House Institute to design and model buildings to the Passivhaus standard. The accreditation is independent, you cannot self-declare it, and it confirms one critical skill: the ability to model a design in PHPP and prove it will hold comfort on a fraction of the energy.
That is the difference between a home built to “passive principles” and a home that is actually certifiable. One is a description. The other is a verified design.
What they do
Six things a CPHD does on your build.
All of it happens before construction, where decisions are still cheap to make and easy to change.
Models the home in PHPP
Builds an accurate energy model of your specific design on your specific site, predicting heating and cooling demand before a wall goes up.
Sets the airtightness strategy
Defines where the airtight layer runs and how every junction is sealed, so the blower-door target is achievable, not aspirational.
Resolves thermal bridges
Details every junction, slab edge, and window reveal to eliminate the cold paths that cause heat loss and mould.
Optimises before building
Tunes glazing, shading, insulation, and orientation in the model until the design performs, while it is still cheap to change.
Certifies the design
Produces the documentation that allows the finished home to be certified against the PHI standard.
Bridges design and build
Works with the build team so the modelled performance survives contact with the construction site, where most performance is won or lost.
On every project
Designed by a CPHD, built by certified tradespeople.
Every Marvel passive house is modelled in PHPP and certified by an independent, accredited Certified Passive House Designer, while Ibrahim Amin, a Certified Passive House Tradesperson, leads it on the build side. The model and the construction speak the same language, so the performance proven in PHPP is the performance delivered at handover and confirmed by blower-door test. See all our certifications.
Common
questions
CPHD, answered.
What is a Certified Passive House Designer?
A Certified Passive House Designer (CPHD) is a designer or architect independently accredited by the Passive House Institute (PHI) to design and model buildings to the Passivhaus standard. The qualification confirms they can run the PHPP energy model that proves a design will perform, before it is built.
What is the difference between a CPHD and a regular architect?
A regular architect designs for amenity, planning, and aesthetics. A Certified Passive House Designer adds verified building-physics expertise: they model the energy balance, airtightness strategy, and thermal detailing in PHPP so the comfort and low energy use are engineered and provable, not hoped for. The two roles work together.
Do I need a Certified Passive House Designer to build a passive house?
To achieve genuine, certifiable passive house performance, yes. The PHPP model that a CPHD produces is what turns 'passive principles' into a measured outcome. Every Marvel Homes passive house is modelled in PHPP and certified by an independent, accredited Certified Passive House Designer, so the performance is verified, not assumed.
What is PHPP?
PHPP (the Passive House Planning Package) is the energy-modelling software developed by the Passive House Institute. It predicts a building's heating and cooling demand, airtightness, and comfort to a high degree of accuracy, climate-modelled for the specific site, so the design can be optimised before construction begins.
Build it proven, not promised.
Bring your architect’s concept or start from scratch. Either way, a Certified Passive House Designer will model it before we build it. Start with a conversation.
See how we build→
Mo Amin + Ibrahim Amin
Engineers · Licensed Builders · Certified Passive House Tradesperson