We’ve just wrapped up the 8th annual Passive House Canada Conference, and what a week it was. Over three days, hundreds of Passive House professionals, policymakers, manufacturers, consultants, designers, builders, and advocates gathered in Vancouver to learn, connect, and share ideas about the future of high-performance buildings.
From inspiring keynote presentations and technical education sessions to project tours and networking events, the 2026 conference once again demonstrated the strength, passion, and growing impact of Canada’s Passive House community.
Day 1
The conference began bright and early on Monday morning with registration, coffee, breakfast, and a bustling exhibit hall. After attendees settled in, Conference Producer Jessica Weber welcomed everyone to the event, followed by a meaningful welcome from Alec Dan, Knowledge Holder from the Musqueam Indian Band, who greeted attendees and acknowledged the lands on which we gathered.
Passive House Canada CEO Michael Quast reflected on the importance of our shared commitment to better buildings and encouraged attendees to continue expanding the community that makes this work possible. Board Chair Susan MacDougall challenged participants to think critically throughout the conference: How do we take the successes and lessons we’ve learned and make them more accessible, scalable, and impactful?
Then came the opening keynote that many attendees had been eagerly anticipating.
Author and climate advocate Seth Klein delivered an inspiring presentation examining how Canada mobilized during the Second World War and what lessons that period holds for responding to today’s climate emergency. His thought-provoking comparisons sparked conversations that continued throughout the conference hallways, networking events, and education sessions for the rest of the week.
The remainder of the day featured 10 education sessions covering a wide range of Passive House topics. One particularly memorable presentation explored the design of a Passive House childcare centre through the lens of the toddlers who use it every day, reminding us that building performance and occupant experience go hand in hand.
The day concluded with our networking event, generously sponsored by EuroLine Windows and Perkins&Will. Great food, refreshing drinks, and enthusiastic conversations created the perfect setting for reconnecting with colleagues and making new connections.
Day 2
Tuesday delivered another full day of learning with 14 presentations rich in both practical knowledge and inspiration.
Attendees explored topics ranging from building performance and carbon reduction strategies to ventilation design, overheating mitigation, and innovative project case studies. Whether participants were looking for technical expertise or broader industry insights, there was no shortage of valuable takeaways.
In the afternoon, we once again opened our exhibit hall to the public. The Exhibitor Open House welcomed members of Vancouver’s building community who were interested in learning more about Passive House, meeting suppliers, and networking with industry professionals.
We were thrilled to meet so many new faces and introduce even more people to the benefits of high-performance buildings. Events like these help strengthen connections between our industry and the broader community, while continuing to grow awareness of Passive House principles and projects.
Day 3
The final conference day began with four morning sessions covering topics including mass timber construction, HVAC solutions, planned communities, and cold-climate EnerPHit projects.
Following the morning presentations, attendees gathered for the conference closing.
The closing began with Passive House Canada CEO Michael Quast presenting the 2026 Harold Orr Award to Matheo and Heather Durfeld of BC Passive House. Their company built Canada’s first Passive House project, the Lost Lake Passive House, originally known as Austria House during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Matheo shared stories from those pioneering days and reflected on the challenges and opportunities that helped launch Passive House construction in Canada.
Next, Vanya Chan and Edward Lowes from the Passive House Institute joined us on stage to recognize recent building and component certifications, celebrating the continued growth of Passive House projects and products across the industry.
Our closing keynote was delivered by Alfred Jury, who presented a companion session to last year’s memorable keynote, The Passive House Effect. His presentation highlighted the ongoing influence of our collective efforts and reinforced the importance of collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and long-term vision as we continue advancing high-performance buildings across Canada and beyond.
While the conference program had officially concluded, the week was far from over.
After lunch, 50 attendees equipped with PPE boarded one of two tour buses for an afternoon of project visits.
The Downtown Tour included stops at Pacific Artist Hub, Davie Street, and Coal Harbour Phase 2, while the Regional Tour visited Vienna House, Marpole Community Centre, and Little Mountain Cohousing. These tours provided a unique opportunity to see Passive House principles in action and hear directly from the teams responsible for bringing these projects to life.
As attendees prepared for their journeys home, we said goodbye to colleagues old and new and reminded everyone that we’ll be gathering again next year in Toronto for the 2027 Passive House Canada Conference, taking place June 1–3.
Day 4
For those not quite ready for the conference experience to end, we introduced a bonus workshop on Thursday morning focused on EnerPHit and Passive House retrofits.
Presented by Vanya Chan and Edward Lowes from the Passive House Institute, the half-day workshop provided 12 attendees with an opportunity to dive deeper into retrofit strategies, certification pathways, and practical considerations for transforming existing buildings into high-performance spaces.
It was the perfect final note to conclude an inspiring and information-packed week.
As we reflect on the conversations, ideas, and connections that emerged throughout the conference, we’re reminded once again that the Passive House movement is powered by people. Every project, presentation, discussion, and partnership contributes to a stronger, healthier, and more sustainable built environment.
Thank you to all of our attendees, speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, volunteers, and partners who helped make the 2026 Passive House Canada Conference such a success.
And of course, we’ll be doing it all again next year in Toronto, June 1–3, 2027. We can’t wait to see you there. Join the Conference email newsletter to stay informed.
Event Photos
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PHCC 2026 Sponsors
