RESTORE Passive House: Rebuilding After Colorado’s Marshall Fire
How fire victims in Colorado are leading the way in climate-resilient homebuilding with Passive House design.
RESTORE Passive House: Colorado’s Vision for Resilient, Climate-Friendly Homes Post-Marshall Fire
The Marshall Fire of December 2021 devastated over a thousand homes in Boulder County, Colorado, leaving families facing immense loss and the challenge of rebuilding in a future shaped by unpredictable climate threats. Amidst this tragedy, a new hope has emerged: the RESTORE Passive House, an innovative home design that aims to offer fire survivors not just shelter, but resilience, comfort, and energy efficiency that meets the demands of a changing climate.
The Marshall Fire: A Turning Point in Community Resilience
The Marshall Fire swept through Boulder County with alarming speed on December 30, 2021, driven by fierce winds and parched landscapes. In just hours, over 1,000 homes in Louisville, Superior, and surrounding areas were incinerated. Families like the Ruprechts and the Lombardos lost everything, forced to evacuate and contemplate their futures amidst the smoldering ruins of their neighborhoods.
This experience was not just traumatic—it was transformative. Survivors began to question not only how to rebuild, but how to build better: safer, healthier, and more adaptable to a climate defined by wildfires, drought, and poor air quality.
What Is a Passive House?
At the center of this community’s rebuilding vision is the Passive House—a rigorous, science-based building standard designed to maximize energy efficiency, comfort, and resilience.
- Airtight construction minimizes infiltration of smoke, dust, and allergens, vastly improving interior air quality—even during wildfires.
- Super-insulated walls and windows keep homes comfortable year-round, reducing the need for heating and cooling.
- Carefully oriented windows and shading optimize sunlight, minimizing energy use and boosting natural light.
- Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery ensures a continuous supply of fresh, filtered air with minimal energy penalty.
According to the International Passive House Association, these strategies can reduce home energy needs by up to 90% compared to conventional construction.
Fire Survivors Lead the Way: Stories from the Marshall Fire Zone
The Ruprecht Family’s Search for a Better Future
Peter and Michelle Ruprecht lived in the Sagamore neighborhood when the Marshall Fire struck. After years battling drafty, uncomfortable winters in their old house—and experiencing firsthand the vulnerability of traditional construction—they resolved that their new home would be different.
But when they initially explored Passive House construction, the price tag seemed out of reach, strained further by record-high construction costs and insufficient insurance payouts. Their turning point came when an online post directed them to the RESTORE Passive House: a pre-designed, climate-resilient solution specifically developed for Marshall Fire victims.
The Lombardo Family: Rebuilding with Resilience
Kevin and Casey Lombardo’s experience echoes similar themes. After fleeing the flames and losing their Louisville home, they faced decisions that would shape their next chapter. The appeal of a Passive House for the Lombardos included enhanced safety—not only from fire, but ongoing threats from smoke and poor outdoor air quality.
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“We’re building a house that’s going to have fresh filtered air, 24/7, and a really low AQI [Air Quality Index],” Casey Lombardo explained. The airtight envelope and high-performance filtration mean that—even during times of regional smoke or nearby fires—indoor air remains clean and healthy.
Designing the RESTORE Passive House: Simplicity, Affordability, and Performance
The RESTORE Passive House is a direct response to the intersecting crises of affordability, resilience, and sustainability facing Marshall Fire survivors. Its core priorities are:
- Cost control through streamlined design and pre-engineered packages, making high performance attainable for middle-class families.
- Enhanced fire resistance via airtight construction, reduced exterior vents, fire-resistant siding (such as steel and treated wood), and simplified rooflines to limit ember intrusion.
- Energy efficiency through thick insulation, triple-pane windows, and electric appliances powered by renewable energy.
- Comfort and health with continuous filtered ventilation and careful thermal design for year-round comfort.
The typical RESTORE Passive House is a three-bedroom, three-bathroom configuration in an L-shape, featuring two simple gabled roofs. The attached garage is separated from the insulated envelope, further enhancing airtightness and reducing infiltration points.
Passive Fire Protection: How Passive House Helps with Wildfires
- Simplified rooflines eliminate weak spots where embers can lodge.
- Minimal vents and penetrations prevent embers from entering attics or crawlspaces—a common cause of structure ignition during wildfires.
- Exterior materials (steel siding and treated wood) resist ignition, while triple-pane, fire-rated windows provide both energy savings and survival during high heat and flying debris.
These features mean that while no home is entirely “fireproof,” Passive House design vastly improves the odds that families can return sooner—and with less lingering smoke damage—after a fire event.
Cost, Incentives, and Accessibility: Making Passive House Possible
One of the biggest barriers for fire survivors has been budget. The RESTORE Passive House project, led by green builder Bronwyn Barry, architect Rob Harrison, and Joubert Homes, aims to close that gap.
- Base Price: After factoring in government and utility incentives, the RESTORE Passive House can be built for approximately $550,000. That’s competitive with or even less than the cost of conventional construction quoted for the fire zone.
- Incentives: Owners can access a $37,500 Passive House rebate from Xcel Energy and an additional $10,000 for all-electric homes from the State of Colorado, among other smaller rebates.
- Operating Savings: Dramatically lower heating and cooling bills mean families save thousands over the life of the home, offsetting any upfront premium.
To compare, in February 2022 the Colorado Association of Home Builders put typical Marshall Fire rebuild costs at $260 – $300 per square foot. The RESTORE Passive House’s streamlined approach delivers high performance at about $211 per square foot, once incentives are factored in.
| Feature | Standard New Build | RESTORE Passive House |
|---|---|---|
| Air tightness | Moderate | High (Passive Standard) |
| Fire resilience | Dependent on spec | Integrated (envelope & materials) |
| Energy use | Typical | 90% less than code |
| All-electric | Optional | Standard |
| Incentives | Limited/none | Up to $47,500 available |
| Indoor air quality | Standard (prone to outdoor pollution) | Fresh filtered air, 24/7 |
Community and Policy Support
The shift towards Passive House rebuilding is supported by both policy incentives and growing local enthusiasm. Christine Berg of the Colorado Energy Office notes that, out of 95 rebuilding permits issued in the Marshall Fire zone, 39 homeowners have registered for green building rebates, and several have committed to the most advanced Passive House tier.
“Out of this tragedy comes this great opportunity to really rethink how we build,” Berg observes. The RESTORE project stands as a visible symbol of resilience and innovation, with the first completed homes providing templates for what’s possible—not just for Colorado, but for communities everywhere facing wildfire risk.
Beyond Wildfire: Passive House as a Solution for Air Quality and Energy Grid Reliability
- Continuous filtered ventilation shields residents from chronic smoke events, allergens, and outdoor air pollution.
- Energy self-sufficiency: All-electric systems (heat pumps, induction cooking, heat-recovery ventilation) prepare homes for a renewable-powered future, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy bills.
- Health consequences: Families are less exposed to fine particulates and toxins during wildfires, protecting especially vulnerable children, elderly, and those with respiratory conditions.
Increasingly, Passive House adoption is seen not as a luxury, but as a public health intervention and climate adaptation strategy.
Challenges and Opportunities in Widespread Adoption
- Upfront costs and insurance gaps: Many survivors were underinsured; more advocacy is needed to ensure rebuilding funds keep pace with quality standards.
- Builder and architect availability: The region now has a growing pool of professionals experienced with Passive House, but expansion is still needed for scaling up.
- Education: Homeowner education about long-term savings, durability, fire resistance, and comfort remains crucial to wider buy-in.
Yet the RESTORE Passive House’s successful completion demonstrates that even in the toughest circumstances, determined communities can catalyze a shift to resilient, sustainable housing that can withstand tomorrow’s disasters.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Is Passive House construction much more expensive than standard rebuilding?
A: No. After available rebates and incentives, the cost is competitive with or even lower than typical new homes built to standard codes in wildfire-affected regions.
Q: How does Passive House design help protect against wildfires?
A: The envelope’s airtight nature, few roof and wall penetrations, and use of fire-resistant exterior materials reduce the risk of ember ignition and smoke infiltration.
Q: What are the health benefits of Passive House, especially in fire-prone areas?
A: Homes maintain clean, continuously filtered indoor air, protecting occupants from wildfire smoke, dust, and allergens, and improving quality of life year-round.
Q: Can Passive Houses be customized in size and layout?
A: Yes. While the RESTORE model is streamlined for affordability, Passive House is a design standard that can be adapted to many styles and floorplans.
Conclusion: Rebuilding for the Future
The RESTORE Passive House in the Marshall Fire area marks a profound shift in how communities can recover from disaster—not by recreating the past, but by building toward a safer, healthier, and more sustainable future. It represents not only a set of technical solutions, but a philosophy of resilience, community support, and hope after tragedy. As wildfires, droughts, and other climate-driven disasters grow more frequent, Colorado’s experience with Passive House rebuilding provides a valuable blueprint for communities worldwide.
References
- https://www.passivhaus.city
- https://www.cpr.org/2022/09/30/marshall-fire-climate-friendly-homes/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg0CdXKhyYM
- https://www.nrel.gov/news/detail/program/2025/kevin-lombardos-family-rebuilt-their-home-and-lives-after-marshall-fire
- https://www.bpublicprefab.com/disaster-resources
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5PyXqKGvCc
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