The world’s first Passive House hospital, currently being built in Frankfurt, Germany, is a step closer to certification.

Klinikum Frankfurt Höchs, projected for completion in 2021, has already progressed to the final stages. The scaffolding has been dismantled completely and the bright, white façade of the new build can now be seen. The interior finishing is currently being carried out.

An airtightness test for the building, which spans 78,000 square metres of gross floor area, was reported to be extremely successful. The differential pressure measurement method is used to detect any leaks, so-called thermal bridges, in the building envelope that might lead to uncontrolled heat losses. The pressure test is not only good for the energy balance of the building but will also help to prevent structural damage in the long term.

The Passive House Institute in Darmstadt has been consulting on this pilot project right from the start, including the initial planning phase. It has now been tasked with the certification of the project. A baseline study on the implementation of the Passive House standard in hospitals was carried out in advance by the Passive House Institute on behalf of the German Federal State of Hesse.

Monitoring has also been requested. In this way, the energy-relevant target values calculated in the context of scientific monitoring for a Passive House hospital will be tested in practice. As a result, recommendations for the planning and operation of further Passive House hospitals can be derived from the monitoring data.

Once complete, the facility will feature 664 beds, ten operating theatres and a
hybrid operating room.