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Environment

World’s largest office building with 'passive house' design to open

The world’s largest example of an office building constructed to passive house standards – using airtight construction and high levels of insulation to cut energy use – is soon to open in Boston, Massachusetts

By Jeremy Hsu

14 March 2023

The Winthrop Center is the tall glass building at the back

Winthrop Center is the tall glass building at the back

MP Boston

On a cold winter’s day in February, the drone of a powerful fan filled the cavernous office space on the 17th floor of a new skyscraper in downtown Boston. A group of building developers wearing hard hats and orange safety vests stood around as the fan sucked air from the space. They were conducting a depressurisation test as part of a process to confirm that the space – one of 21 floors of office in the 62-storey building – met new energy-saving standards. …

Article amended on 14 March 2023

We've corrected how much insulation is used in sections of the building.

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