2kilowatt-hours per square metre · per year

That's what Casa RIA uses for heating. An average apartment built post-2000 consumes 80-120 kWh/m²/yr. RIA runs below 2.

2kWh/m²/yr
Heating demand
0.3/h
Air-tightness n50
92%
Heat recovery
100%
Biodegradable materials

Passivhaus Institut

The Passivhaus certification is the world's strictest energy-efficiency standard. It verifies actual performance, not declared: air-tightness (n50 ≤ 0.6 /h), zero thermal bridges, > 75% heat recovery, < 120 kWh/m²/yr primary energy. RIA passes every test, with wide margins.

Passivhaus certificate
Pressed straw walls

Pressed straw walls

The prefab walls contain high-density wheat-straw bales inside a load-bearing timber frame, finished with clay plaster and wood-fibre boards. The result: U-value ≈ 0.12 W/m²K, four times better than a standard masonry wall.

U-value
0.12 W/m²K
Thermal mass
high
Origin
< 40 km
End of life
compost

Recovery & circular economy

Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (> 90% efficiency). Hot water from a heat pump + photovoltaic panels. Rainwater is collected for orchard irrigation. Composted waste becomes fertiliser for the gardens. Everything closes a loop.

Visit Biobuilds