flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Boston’s new stretch code requires new multifamily structures to meet Passive House building requirements

Multifamily Housing

Boston’s new stretch code requires new multifamily structures to meet Passive House building requirements

Phius certifications are expected to increase with tougher green building standards.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | May 30, 2023
Boston’s new stretch code requires new multifamily structures to meet Passive House building requirements

Photo by David Bartus

Phius certifications are expected to become more common as states and cities boost green building standards.

The City of Boston recently adopted Massachusetts’s so-called opt-in building code, a set of sustainability standards that goes beyond the standard state code.

“Starting January 1, 2024, every new multifamily building built in Boston must meet passive building requirements, with Phius certification representing the most established path to reach those requirements,” according to a Phius news release.

Boston’s action made it the eighth, and by far the largest, Massachusetts municipality to adopt the code, with many others expected to follow suit. Buildings that meet the Phius Certification standard are proven to use 40% to 60% less energy than code-built buildings at minimal to no upfront cost premium, Phius says.

Boston is the first major U.S. city to adopt a building code that requires passive building standards.

Related Stories

Multifamily Housing | Jun 3, 2024

Grassroots groups becoming a force in housing advocacy

A growing movement of grassroots organizing to support new housing construction is having an impact in city halls across the country. Fed up with high housing costs and the commonly hostile reception to new housing proposals, advocacy groups have sprung up in many communities to attend public meetings to speak in support of developments.

MFPRO+ News | Jun 3, 2024

New York’s office to residential conversion program draws interest from 64 owners

New York City’s Office Conversion Accelerator Program has been contacted by the owners of 64 commercial buildings interested in converting their properties to residential use.

MFPRO+ News | Jun 3, 2024

Seattle mayor wants to scale back energy code to spur more housing construction

Seattle’s mayor recently proposed that the city scale back a scheduled revamping of its building energy code to help boost housing production. The proposal would halt an update to the city’s multifamily and commercial building energy code that is scheduled to take effect later this year. 

Resiliency | Jun 3, 2024

Houston’s buyout program has prevented flood damage but many more homes at risk

Recent flooding in Houston has increased focus on a 30-year-old program to buy out some of the area’s most vulnerable homes. Storms dropped 23 inches of rain on parts of southeast Texas, leading to thousands of homes being flooded in low-lying neighborhoods around Houston. 

MFPRO+ New Projects | May 29, 2024

Two San Francisco multifamily high rises install onsite water recycling systems

Two high-rise apartment buildings in San Francisco have installed onsite water recycling systems that will reuse a total of 3.9 million gallons of wastewater annually. The recycled water will be used for toilet flushing, cooling towers, and landscape irrigation to significantly reduce water usage in both buildings.

MFPRO+ News | May 28, 2024

ENERGY STAR NextGen Certification for New Homes and Apartments launched

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently launched ENERGY STAR NextGen Certified Homes and Apartments, a voluntary certification program for new residential buildings. The program will increase national energy and emissions savings by accelerating the building industry’s adoption of advanced, energy-efficient technologies, according to an EPA news release. 

MFPRO+ News | May 24, 2024

Austin, Texas, outlaws windowless bedrooms

Austin, Texas will no longer allow developers to build windowless bedrooms. For at least two decades, the city had permitted developers to build thousands of windowless bedrooms.

Mass Timber | May 22, 2024

3 mass timber architecture innovations

As mass timber construction evolves from the first decade of projects, we're finding an increasing variety of mass timber solutions. Here are three primary examples.

Mixed-Use | May 22, 2024

Multifamily properties above ground-floor grocers continue to see positive rental premiums

Optimizing land usage is becoming an even bigger priority for developers. In some city centers, many large grocery stores sprawl across valuable land.

MFPRO+ News | May 21, 2024

Massachusetts governor launches advocacy group to push for more housing

Massachusetts’ Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll have taken the unusual step of setting up a nonprofit to advocate for pro-housing efforts at the local level. One Commonwealth Inc., will work to provide political and financial support for local housing initiatives, a key pillar of the governor’s agenda.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category

Multifamily Housing

Grassroots groups becoming a force in housing advocacy

A growing movement of grassroots organizing to support new housing construction is having an impact in city halls across the country. Fed up with high housing costs and the commonly hostile reception to new housing proposals, advocacy groups have sprung up in many communities to attend public meetings to speak in support of developments.




halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021