High-Performance Ventilation Enabling Passive House Success, Castlegar, BC
The Confluence Building is a civic hub in Castlegar, BC, housing the Chamber of Commerce, visitor centre, and collaborative workspaces. Designed to meet the Passive House standard, the project achieves significant reductions in heating and cooling demand compared to conventional buildings
To deliver this level of performance in a cold climate, the project relies on one critical system: continuous, high-efficiency ventilation. At the core of that strategy are Swegon GOLD air handling units, providing the energy recovery, control, and reliability required for Passive House operation.
The Challenge
Passive House buildings dramatically reduce heating and cooling loads—but that shifts complexity onto the ventilation system.
The system needed to:
- Deliver continuous outdoor air in an ultra-airtight envelope
- Recover maximum energy from exhaust air
- Maintain stable indoor conditions year-round
- Support multiple occupancy zones
- Operate quietly in a civic environment