How a Passive House Creates Calm and Minimizes Noise

Keeping Unwanted Sounds Out

In a regular home, the walls are thin and often poorly insulated so the aforementioned noises can sneak in unbidden at all hours. Not to mention the noisy intrusion of seasonal storms, loud holiday celebrations, and periodic roadwork. All this is an inconvenience during the day and can interfere with your sleep at night, which is particularly disruptive if you have sleep problems or young children who are easily woken. 

A Passive House includes seals that prevent air and moisture from leaking in, and has thick walls filled with plentiful insulation. This not only reduces heating and cooling costs, but also keeps barking dogs, car alarms, and other annoyances from disturbing you while you’re trying to relax indoors. In most homes, doors and windows allow both drafts and outdoor sounds to seep in, but because these feature more premium materials and are carefully installed by expert craftspeople in a Passive House, one of the first things new homeowners notice is how quiet their new residence is. Then they start to see how much better their family sleeps now that noise is a non-issue. 

“Our son was born while we were in our old rental house and we couldn’t sleep train him,” said Morgen Govindan, a Kansas City homeowner who built a high-performance home with Kala. “It might have been that the house was really loud, but he sleeps through the night now and during storms, our kids don’t wake up. There was a band playing in the park across the street when we were bathing them, and we kept hearing a faint sound. We opened the windows, and all the noise came in.”



“You can't hear anything – it’s amazing,” added Morgen’s husband, Sush. “When we were anywhere else, Fourth of July was a nightmare with our kids because they would hear the fireworks and wake up. This house is so quiet. We didn’t think there were dogs in the neighborhood because we never hear them, but it turns out there are two across the street that bark all the time. You walk into the house and it’s like there’s nothing going on. That’s really nice.”

No More Noisy HVAC

Another way that Passive House building creates a calmer, quieter atmosphere is by reducing the noise usually involved in seasonal heating and cooling. Using the principles of passive solar, heat energy from the sun is captured by a combination of thoughtful site orientation and large premium glazing. Airtight construction and ample, continuous insulation retain this sun-derived heat when it’s needed in the winter, reducing the amount of energy required to keep the home warm and cozy. 

When it is necessary for mechanical systems to increase the indoor temperature, a heat pump sources this silently from the air or ground, rather than a noisy furnace kicking into high gear like in a traditional home. Similarly in the summer, the tightly sealed building envelope keeps outdoor heat and humidity at bay and preserves a comfortable living environment inside a Passive House. Instead of an air conditioner coming on at full blast if you want to nudge the temperature down a little, an intelligent, whisper-quiet ERV system circulates cool, fresh, filtered air throughout the home. 

“The feedback that we get from guests is that it’s very quiet and comfortable,” Sush said.   

We often think of comfort in a home as being all about nice furniture or fancy fixtures. But a Passive House redefines this term by minimizing indoor noise and keeping outdoor sounds where they belong. As a result, you can look forward to relaxing in a calm, quiet oasis every time you step through the front door, sleeping soundly at night, and living in peace.

Want to learn more about how your next home could be as quiet as it is energy efficient? Contact us today!