High-performance homes. A high standard in its own right, not a discount Passive House.
For families who are not aiming for certified Passive House performance, but still want a genuinely well-built, comfortable, energy-smart home: airtight detailing, sensible ventilation, all-electric. We do not engineer to a borrowed near-Passive-House number and leave it uncertified. If Passive House-level performance is actually the goal, certification is how that promise gets measured and protected, never an optional extra; see our certified Passive House builder page for that pathway.
Start a conversationThis is not a lighter version of certified Passive House.
This tier is for clients with a straightforward brief who are not aiming for certified Passive House performance, full stop, not for clients trying to get passive-house-level results without paying for the certificate. If a near-Passive-House number matters to you, the only way to know it is real is to certify it: that is what the independent PHPP model and blower-door testing through construction are for. Skipping certification to save a fraction of a percent on the build does not lower your risk. It removes the one independent check that catches a problem before you move in.
- Two engineers (civil and mechanical) review every design and site, the same as every Marvel build
- All-electric fitout: heat-pump HVAC, heat-pump hot water, induction cooking, standard since 2022
- A single airtightness blower-door test on completion, so you get a real, measured number for your home, not a promise
- One team, one fixed-price contract: the same process we run for every Marvel build, certified or not
What you don't get in this tier is a PHPP model maintained through construction and an independent third-party certifier signing off the result, because that is specifically what certification pays for. If that is what you need, the certified Passive House builder page covers the full pathway.
Built well, and measured, not just assumed
The same underlying good practice as a certified Passive House (careful airtight detailing, sensible ventilation, minimising thermal bridging where practical), without a promised near-Passive-House number and without the independent PHI review. If that number matters to you, certify it.
The process never changes. What you're building to, does.
Choosing high-performance over certified changes what is measured and independently checked, not the way we run the job. One thing we want to be plain about: if passive-level performance is genuinely what you're after, get it certified. Certification is not a box-ticking extra, it is the independent check that the performance promise actually held on your home, not a brochure. Building close to passive without it, to save a fraction of a percent on the fee, does not lower your risk. It removes the one step that would have caught a problem before you moved in. Whichever tier you choose, every Marvel build is still delivered the same way:
- One team. Design and construction sit under a single contract, so there is no gap between architect and builder for problems to fall through.
- A fixed-price contract, issued after a six to ten month pre-construction phase. Not a set of allowances that drift once the build starts.
- Airtightness blower-door tested on completion, so the performance is measured, not promised.
- Five to eight homes a year, so the people who designed your home are the people on site.
Is it a fit
Five to eight homes a year, by choice.
That means we are honest about fit before you spend. Here is who a high-performance home tends to be right for, and who it is not.
- Your budget is in the $900K to $2M+ range for construction, and you want it spent well.
- You want it built properly, and can plan around a construction program of about 62 weeks.
- You value measured comfort, health, and running cost over the lowest headline price.
- Lowest price is the deciding factor, ahead of comfort, health or how the home performs.
- You need a fixed build price before your site and plans have been worked through.
- You are after a project-home or off-the-plan build, not a one-off custom home.
Our build program runs about 62 weeks start to finish. That is real calendar time: it already allows for the December and January shutdown and for weather, so the actual build is shorter than it sounds. You get firm dates up front, so you can plan your finances and any rental around them.
Not sure where you sit? The lowest-risk first step is a builder-agnostic site assessment. You own the report, whoever you build with.
High-performance homes.
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Frequently asked
- Our builds start at $900K construction cost and most sit between there and $2M+, depending on size, site and finish. You get a fixed price at the end of pre-construction, not an allowance that moves during the build.
Certified or high-performance. Which is right for your site?
Send the address and brief. We will recommend a path and give you a rate range for each.