Welcome to the Real World of Passive House Building Science #BS

Each student team is assigned job roles to simulate a construction site, with documentation requirements that must be met.

  • Learn What to See

    Every section of the Passive Pod build coincides with lessons learned in class, red flags they must catch, and design flaws they must recognize.

  • Learn How to See

    The Site Supervisor oversees the work of the Air Sealing Sub and Window Installer, and reports the correct documentation.

  • Learn Who to Rely On

    The most important part of a Passive build is an integrated team. The Passive Pod Workshop is designed to reinforce that concept.

Meet Emu’s Passive Pod

Our textbook on wheels

We’ve spent years developing a proprietary instruction tool that allows our student builders to get their hands on the products and methods we discuss in class, with the support of research-backed advanced building science. The pods are designed to integrate with the learning objectives in our brand-neutral course. All product donated are done so by suppliers who know we will present the good, the bad, and the ugly, in an effort to encourage data transparency.

No sales pitches. Ever.

We are completely unsponsored by manufacturer money$. Only pure B.S.* here (*Building Science)

We have the fortune of receiving product donations from the best of the best in the Passive House manufacturing world, and we give the students an opportunity to ask questions in a brand-neutral environment where science reigns.

Passive Pod Workshop

Click to see Pod people in action!

Testing the pods

When we really geek out over Building Science…

Go to our blog to see the results of the first class to ever use the Pods in class, where the student-built Passive Pods maintained 20°F higher temperatures than the Code Pod in overnight Resiliency Test in the Rocky Mountain snow. At the conclusion of every CPHT course, we run three tests on the team built Passive Pods in comparison to the Code Pod: Airtightness Test – a qualitative test where we pressurize the pods and use smoke to seek out leaks to mitigate Thermal Bridging Test – another qualitative test using infrared cameras to spot weak spots in the thermal envelope of the pods Resiliency Test – a quantitative competition, using temperature and relative humidity sensors to track the performance of the Passive Pods against each other and against a Code Pod when left outside overnight



Connect research to reality.

Apply your Passive House classroom education to Emu’s unique hands-on Passive Pod Workshop. Open to all current Emu students and any PHI or PHIUS certified professional.

  • Trainers deliver high quality, unbiased instruction.

  • Brand neutral environment free of product plugs.

  • Hands-on learning of best practices & building science.

Included perks of joining the Emu Mob.

That's right. A group of emus is actually called a "mob"! #NeverStopLearning

  • Emu’s CPHT Textbook

    Emu's CPHT textbook, which is accredited for use in the open-book CPHT Exam and has been referred to as "The Bible of Passive House" by alumni who keep it on site.

  • Alumni Forum

    Access to the Emu Alumni Forum, a network of all the construction professionals who have taken courses with Emu - your ecosystem of PHriends and collaborators.

  • Emu’s Directory

    A profile listing in Emu's Mob Directory, where we direct potential clients who are seeking trained builders and project team members.

Thank you for the product donations!

Our advanced builder training courses and workshops would not be possible without the support and product donation of several Product Partners from the Passive House materials industry. A big thank you to the following companies for donating materials to our workshops so that builder students can explore their options in an education-based, brand neutral environment.

Alpen Windows
SIGA Cover
475 Building Supplies
Havelock Wool
Enersign
Johns Manville
Partel
Rothoblaas
Sensor Push
Thermal Buck
Vonderhaus
Zehnder
Zola
Advantage Architectural Woodwork
SMT Research
Rockwool

FAQ

  • Are there any prerequisites to take the Passive Pod Workshop?

    I'm so glad you asked! Because the answer is YES, you will need to have completed the Emu CPHT course, online or in-person.

  • What is Passive House?

    Passive House is an international construction standard maintained and continuously developed by the International Passive House Institute (PHI). Residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings constructed to these guidelines are characterized by significantly increased comfort and health for the occupants, extremely low energy consumption, durable construction quality, and knowledgable project teams at the forefront of the construction industry.

  • If I have already taken the CPHT course will I get anything out of the workshop?

    The Passive Pod workshop is an extension of what you learn in the CPHT course. You will be taking that knowledge and putting it into practice with your own hands. Our students feel this solidifies the CPHT curriculum into practical skills. And they have a blast taking it.

  • What are the terms for refunds/cancellations

    We have varying terms for online versus in-person training, even though both are purchased through our online platform. We also have special circumstances we must adhere to for Exams. Please read our Terms of Use for more, and let us know if you have any questions.

  • How do you treat my data?

    We are a small business with no desire to infringe upon your privacy. We do not sell lists, nor do we buy them. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information, or just reach out to our team.

Due to COVID-19, we've been working hard to provide affordable online CPHT course content and safe in-person training.  Learn more about our "hands-online" blended learning platform, or call/email questions to +1 (833) WILD-EMU / [email protected].