Finch Cambridge is the largest new multifamily affordable housing development in Cambridge in 40 years and one of the first large-scale multifamily developments to achieve Passive House certification in Massachusetts. Photo by Robert Umenhofer | Courtesy

If houses had personalities, passive homes would be the kind that are calm, quiet and have a reliable temperament. With Passive House construction homes are designed to be so energy efficient that the home doesn’t have to work very hard to stay warm or cool. Heavily insulated windows and doors reduce noise from the outside and high efficiency ventilation systems improve indoor air quality. 

According to Passive House Massachusetts, Passive House is a voluntary international building standard developed by the Passive House Institute (PHI), located in Darmstadt, Germany. The Passive House Standard is composed of several strict performance requirements for new building construction. The resulting performance produces approximately a 90 percent reduction in heating and cooling energy usage and up to a 75 percent reduction in primary energy usage compared to homes built to conventional building codes. Passive House significantly reduces the carbon footprint while making a comfortable, healthy, and affordable environment.  

Located at 671 Concord Ave., Finch Cambridge is the largest new multifamily affordable housing development in Cambridge in 40 years. Built by NEI General Contracting and designed by ICON Architecture on behalf of Homeowner’s Rehab Inc., it was completed in 2020 and was one of the first large-scale multifamily developments to achieve Passive House certification in Massachusetts. The 124,000-square-foot development provides 98 rental units ranging from one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments that are permanently affordable to low-income households as well as moderate- and middle-income households. 

Finch Cambridge is located in the Alewife/Cambridge Highlands neighborhood directly across from the Fresh Pond Reservation, which hosts walking paths, parks and playgrounds, and in walking distance of grocery stores, restaurants, shopping and fitness options. Apartment amenities include open floor plans, large windows and Energy Star-rated appliances. Residents have access to a large multipurpose community room and kitchen, resident lounge and study rooms, a rooftop terrace and landscaped outdoor spaces. It is located near two MBTA bus lines and a Red Line subway station.  

Building to ensure compliance with Passive House standards requires a detailed level of construction, coordination, and design to achieve the performance measures required for certification. The Finch project team worked closely together to prepare for the rigorous inspections scheduled throughout the design and construction process. 

Award-Winning Formula for Comfort 

A primary function of Passive House is providing continuous air and thermal boundaries and minimizing thermal bridging. The construction team modified its typical internal quality assurance/quality control inspection process and added steps to accommodate the third–party inspections required as part of the Passive House certification process. This additional process requires more visual inspections and photo documentation. 

An air barrier was installed on interior partitions that wouldn’t normally apply on a traditional construction project in order to provide a tight building envelope at the Passive House boundaries identified by ICON Architecture. In addition, the sequence of subcontractors had to be adjusted, often bringing in a trade earlier than normal to meet certain Passive House requirements and inspection milestones. For example, the exterior air barrier was installed while the building was being erected, sometimes between two prefabricated wood wall panels, as required to maintain continuity at the Passive House boundaries which were located at a few interior partitions.  

Josef Rettman

From start to finish, the project required additional oversight to make sure even the smallest detail wasn’t missed, or PHI ratings could be jeopardized. Builders attempting to meet PHI’s standards must be prepared to intensely scrutinize every detail, making sure everything is in place at the right moment, adding an additional layer of complexity. 

Finch Cambridge has been recognized with multiple awards for Passive House Construction, including best overall project and affordable winner from PHI’s U.S. arm and the best affordable community from PRISM. 

The finished product pays off for the homeowner who lives in a cozy, comfortable home with no drafts or temperature fluctuations with virtually no electric bill. These homes rely less on energy sources like coal, oil and natural gas replacing them with clean, on-site power sources. 

Josef Rettman is the president of NEI General Contracting.