This page collects the fifteen questions that our clients ask us most frequently during the first meeting. The intention is simple: to save you the time you would otherwise spend looking for scattered information, and to give you answers with the same technical precision we use internally. These are not marketing answers; they are the explanations we give at a table with plans in front of us.
If your situation is specific (a particular plot, a retrofit with heritage involved, a family-office operation), the exact answer requires data. For those cases, ask us for a personalised quote and we will reply with real numbers about your plot and your brief.
Quick navigation
- About Passivhaus (questions 1 to 4)
- About PAPIK Group and Eskimohaus® (questions 5 to 6)
- About the construction process (questions 7 to 9)
- About retrofit (questions 10 to 11)
- About certification (question 12)
- About B2B and wealth (question 13)
- Comparisons and durability (questions 14 to 15)
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Group 1, About Passivhaus
1. What exactly is a Passivhaus home?
A Passivhaus home is a dwelling designed under an international standard that limits energy demand for heating and cooling to a maximum of 15 kWh/m²·year, and total primary energy consumption to 120 kWh/m²·year. It is not a commercial brand: it is a technical protocol developed by the Passivhaus Institut in Darmstadt, verified with PHPP calculation and proven on site with a blower door test that confirms airtightness below 0.6 air changes per hour at 50 Pa.
In practice, you enter a Passivhaus home and notice three things: the temperature is uniform across rooms (no cold corners), there are no draughts, and the air is fresh and dry thanks to mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. The energy bill drops by between 75 and 90 per cent compared with a conventional house built to the minimum CTE. It is not reinforced insulation: it is an integrated system of envelope, thermal bridges, airtightness and ventilation.
If you want to understand the technical fundamentals in more depth, read the five Passivhaus principles.
2. How much do you save in a Passivhaus home?
The saving depends on the climate, the starting house and the price of energy. As a useful reference for Catalonia, a 200 m² single-family Passivhaus dwelling consumes between 2,000 and 3,500 kWh/year for climate control, against the 12,000 to 18,000 kWh of a conventional house built fifteen years ago. Translated into euros, we are talking about an annual bill of 250 to 450 euros against the usual 1,800 to 3,000 euros.
Over the entire service life of the dwelling (50 years, conservatively), the accumulated saving ranges between 90,000 and 150,000 euros, not counting rises in the price of energy. This figure is the economic reason why a Passivhaus home, with a construction premium of 5 to 12 per cent, pays back between year 8 and year 14. From then on, it is net benefit for the owner.
To this you must add the saving in boiler maintenance (there are none), in future improvement works (the envelope is done) and the practical elimination of the risk of energy poverty in the face of tariff increases.
3. Is a Passivhaus home more expensive?
Yes, in direct construction costs: between 5 and 12 per cent more than an equivalent conventional house, depending on the brief. The difference is concentrated in continuous insulation, high-performance windows, the heat-recovery ventilation system and rigorous execution control (airtightness tests, supervision of thermal bridges).
That said, "more expensive" is a poor way to frame it. The correct question is: expensive compared with what, and for how long. If you compare a Passivhaus with a minimum-CTE house after twenty years (with bills, maintenance and possible energy retrofits included), the Passivhaus comes out cheaper. If you compare it after fifty years, the difference soars.
There is another relevant nuance: green mortgages offer reduced rates for dwellings with A certification, and NGEU grants can cover part of the premium in retrofit. For a detailed breakdown of what a Passivhaus really costs in Catalonia in 2026, see our passive house budget guide.
4. Does Passivhaus work in a Mediterranean climate?
It works, but it has to be designed differently. The Passivhaus standard was born in Germany and the first generation of houses in northern Europe prioritised solar capture and heat conservation in winter. In the Mediterranean climate the dominant problem is the opposite: solar protection in summer, thermal inertia and night ventilation.
A well-designed Mediterranean Passivhaus uses glazing with a lower solar factor on south and west, movable external solar shading (not just interior blinds, which arrive too late), suitable thermal mass and, often, low-consumption active cooling integrated into the ventilation system. Airtightness remains critical, and so does insulation, but the PHPP calculation takes local solar radiation into account and adjusts the parameters.
We have certified Passivhaus homes in the Vallès, in the Maresme and in the Garrotxa, and all of them pass the summers with stable thermal comfort without the pathologies (overheating) suffered by some poorly sized projects. If you want to go deeper into this topic, we have published a specific article on Passivhaus in a Mediterranean climate.
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Group 2, About PAPIK Group and Eskimohaus®
5. What is PAPIK Group's Eskimohaus® system?
Eskimohaus® is our own building system, developed over more than a decade of Passivhaus projects in Catalonia. It is not a closed modular product nor an assembly kit: it is a design and construction methodology that combines a mixed structure of glulam and CLT, a continuous envelope with natural insulation (wood fibre, cellulose) and an execution protocol with intermediate checks of airtightness and thermal continuity.
The advantage for the client is that each project starts from a base already resolved technically. We do not reinvent the corner solution, nor the window detail, nor the roof-wall connection every time. This translates into fewer site surprises, more predictable timelines and a repeatable level of quality. The architectural signature, on the other hand, is always singular: the aesthetics and the layout are designed from scratch for each client.
Eskimohaus® is registered as a trademark and is not sold as a licence to third parties. It is only built with PAPIK Group as the builder or with the companies that form part of our glulam consortium.
6. How does PAPIK Group differ from other Passivhaus builders?
Three elements we consider relevant. First, vertical control: PAPIK Group designs, builds, certifies and hands over. We do not subcontract the Passivhaus management to external practices, which avoids the information asymmetry between designer and builder that often pushes up costs halfway through the process.
Second, the wealth focus. We work with families who want to pass the home on to the next generation, not only for a first occupancy. This changes decisions about materials (durability, maintenance, A1 fire classes where needed), about construction detail (future accessibility) and about documentation (handover of a complete technical archive, not just the building log).
Third, rigour on costs. Our budgets include explicit contingency and no hidden extras. What you see on the first page of the budget is what you pay at the end, except for changes you request. We have maintained this policy since the first project and it is the reason why 70 per cent of our track record comes from direct referral by previous clients.
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Group 3, About the construction process
7. How long does it take to build a Passivhaus home?
Between 14 and 24 months from the preliminary design commission to the keys, depending on size and complexity. The typical breakdown for a single-family home of 200 to 300 m² is: 4 to 6 months of design and approval, 3 to 5 months of urban permit processing (variable by municipality), 8 to 12 months of construction and 1 month of final testing and Passivhaus certification.
These timelines assume the plot is clean, with an obtainable permit and without complications such as demolition files or changes of use. A Passivhaus on a complicated plot (steep slope, land transfers, road access) can add 3 to 6 months to the prior phase. The Eskimohaus® construction phase, on the other hand, is quite stable: the timber structure goes up in 4 to 6 weeks and the envelope closure in 8 to 10 weeks more.
If you need a shorter timeline (for example, for a sale operation or a family calendar), say so at the first meeting. There are design decisions (running approvals in parallel, freezing changes earlier, prefabrication) that can cut between 2 and 4 months from the total.
8. Do I need a specific plot to build Passivhaus?
No, but some plots are better than others for the final cost. The best plot for Passivhaus has a south or south-east orientation free of shade in winter, dimensions that allow separation from party walls (to avoid complex thermal bridges) and a moderate slope (under 15 per cent saves a lot on earthworks).
That said, we have built Passivhaus on urban plots 6 metres wide between party walls, on corners with two north-facing façades, on a 30 per cent slope and on plots with water easements. Everything is solvable. What changes is the cost: a pure north orientation can mean between 3 and 7 per cent more budget (more insulation, more technical glazing, possible ventilation with pre-conditioning). A steep slope adds 5 to 15 per cent in structure.
The only non-negotiable condition is compliance with municipal planning. Before buying a plot with Passivhaus in mind, ask us with the cadastral plan and the current POUM: in an hour we can tell you whether your project fits.
9. Can I build Passivhaus on a sloping plot?
Yes. The slope is not a technical problem for Passivhaus: it is a problem of design and cost resolved with two strategies. The first, stepped houses that follow the gradient, distributing the programme across connected platforms. This is often the best aesthetic solution and the most economical if the slope is regular.
The second, houses on a ventilated suspended floor with a retaining wall. Useful when the slope is irregular or when you want to keep the natural terrain visible. It has a higher structural cost, but it allows free floor plans and large cantilevered terraces.
The Passivhaus envelope behaves just as well in either of the two solutions, as long as three details are handled carefully: continuity of insulation at the wall-floor junction (it is the point where most projects fail the blower door), perimeter drainage and the treatment of vegetation at lower levels (rising damp). We have documented these details in projects in the Vallès Oriental and Berguedà area, where the topography is never flat.
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Group 4, About retrofit
10. Is it worth retrofitting an old house to Passivhaus?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. The correct question is whether it is worth doing an EnerPHit (the Passivhaus standard for retrofit), not whether to retrofit as such. EnerPHit is a relaxed version of Passivhaus that allows 25 kWh/m²·year of heating demand (instead of 15) precisely because it starts from an existing geometry that limits what can be done.
It makes sense to do EnerPHit when: the farmhouse, village house or dwelling has heritage or emotional value that justifies keeping it; the existing structure is in good condition (no serious damage); and the envelope can be worked on from the outside without loss of habitable area. In these cases, the energy saving is comparable to that of a new build and the investment pays back in 12 to 18 years.
It does not make sense when: the structure has pathologies that force costly reinforcement; the geometry of the house makes a continuous envelope impossible; or the predictable cost exceeds that of an equivalent new build by more than 30 per cent. In that case, demolishing and rebuilding is more honest and often better.
For a quantitative analysis with real numbers, read our comparative article: replace vs. retrofit.
11. Is Passivhaus compatible with NGEU grants?
Yes, and in fact the Passivhaus standard and EnerPHit are among those that score highest in the programmes in force until 31 December 2026. The Next Generation EU grants for residential retrofit in Catalonia are channelled through programmes 3, 4 and 5, managed by the Agència de l'Habitatge de Catalunya.
Broadly: programme 3 finances building retrofit (up to 80 per cent of the cost with energy saving above 60 per cent), programme 4 finances interventions in individual dwellings (up to 14,000 euros), and programme 5 finances the building log and the project. A well-documented EnerPHit usually accesses the maximum of programme 3 because it certifies reductions of 70 to 90 per cent.
There is important fine print: justification deadlines, compatibilities between grants, tax requirements and limitations for rented properties. This answer is general guidance, not tax or legal advice. For your specific situation, consult a specialist adviser or ask us for a meeting with our grants team. All the updated information is in the NGEU guide for Catalonia.
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Group 5, About certification
12. How is a Passivhaus home certified?
Passivhaus certification is an independent verification process that takes place in three phases. First, the PHPP calculation, which is the official spreadsheet of the Passivhaus Institut where all the project data is entered (geometry, materials, thermal bridges, ventilation, shading, local climate) and the energy demand is obtained. This calculation is done by the designer and reviewed by an accredited certifier.
Second, the site control, where an independent certifier (not PAPIK Group's architect) supervises the on-site execution of the critical details. It includes the airtightness test (blower door) at two moments: an intermediate test at envelope closure (when whatever fails can still be repaired) and a final test with the house finished. The result must be below 0.6 air changes per hour at 50 Pa for Passivhaus or 1.0 for EnerPHit.
Third, the documentary submission to the Passivhaus Institut or to an official certifying body (Passive House Database, PEP, ZEPHIR), which issues the numbered certificate. The process has an additional cost over the project (between 4,000 and 8,000 euros depending on size) that we recommend taking on: a "Passivhaus in fact" house without a certificate loses asset value and does not access green mortgages.
For a detailed explanation of the EnerPHit process, see our complete EnerPHit pillar.
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Group 6, About B2B and wealth
13. Does PAPIK Group work with family offices?
Yes. We have a specific service line, Wealth management, designed for family offices, wealth managers and private clients who operate from a portfolio logic. The difference compared with the standard residential commission is not the product (which remains a high-end Passivhaus construction) but the process: communication with a designated wealth manager, financial documentation adapted to family accounting, quarterly reporting calendars, and reinforced confidentiality agreements.
We work with two types of operation. The first, a primary or secondary residence for the holding family, where the client is the end user and the decision is taken by the head of the family with advice from the family office. The second, wealth operations: dwellings for future generations, second homes intended for high-end rental or controlled development operations with a closed number of units.
We do not give commissions or binding offers by phone. The entry point is always a private conversation with one of the founding partners, under a confidentiality agreement. If you represent a family office or a wealth advisory firm, write to us directly and we will reply with a proposal for a first meeting.
This answer is informative and does not constitute a binding offer or financial advice.
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Group 7, Comparisons and durability
14. Modular or Passivhaus?
They are not mutually exclusive options, but they do respond to different priorities. Industrialised modular construction prioritises short timelines (4 to 8 months of construction), a fixed price from a catalogue and future flexibility (the house can be extended by adding modules). The quality ceiling is high in the good manufacturers, but it rarely reaches the detail and the singularity of a bespoke construction.
Passivhaus prioritises certified energy performance, durability (50 to 100 years of service life with normal maintenance) and architectural signature. It is a system of quality, not of speed. A modular Passivhaus is possible (we have done some) but it requires a manufacturer specialised in Passivhaus construction detail, not just any modular on the market.
For PAPIK Group's usual client profile (a family designing a home for one or two generations, with their own plot and a demand for quality), bespoke Passivhaus is almost always the best option. For the client who wants a quick second home, without complications and with a fixed budget, modular can make sense. We have developed this topic in a specific article: modular vs. Passivhaus.
15. Is a Passivhaus home for life?
Yes, and this is one of its most robust economic arguments. A well-built Passivhaus has a service life of 50 to 100 years with simple maintenance. The envelope (insulation, windows, airtightness) is designed to last the whole life of the building. The mechanical ventilation system has a service life of 15 to 25 years depending on the manufacturer, with a filter change every 6 months and an annual inspection.
What needs maintaining? Heat-recovery unit filters (low annual cost), cleaning of the external air intakes (once a year), inspection of window seals (every 5 to 10 years, depending on exposure), and exterior paint or treatments if the façade requires it (every 10 to 15 years depending on material). No boilers, no gas inspections, no tanks.
The generational argument is relevant for families who think about wealth over the long term. A Passivhaus handed over in 2026 to your son or daughter in 2056 is still an asset as a dwelling with a high energy rating, without the need for structural retrofit. This is not the case for most houses built to the minimum CTE, which after 30 years will need significant energy interventions to stay up to date.
Closing / CTA
This list does not exhaust the possible questions. If yours has a particular dimension (a specific plot, a retrofit with heritage involved, an operation with a financial adviser), the exact answer requires data. Ask us for a personalised quote or book a first meeting and we will reply with real numbers.
We return to the office once every six months to review this page and update the answers that deserve it. If you find any information you consider wrong, write to us: the first response will be a correction, not an excuse.