If you go see Detroit City FC play at Keyworth this summer, take notice of the merchandise hut outside. It's built using a methodology called Passive House that aims for nearly net zero energy potential.

Phoenix Haus, a Detroit-based component manufacturer for Passive House, will be the official building partner of the Detroit City Football Club for the next 3 years, beginning with their inaugural season at Keyworth Stadium. They're constructing a 28x10' merchandise hut on May 16 for permanent use during the team's season. Prefabricated panels, shipped vertically, will be assembled on site with a crane. DCFC will use the hut for merchandise and hopefully beer sales during the season.

Phoenix Haus specializes in Passive House science; a building methodology developed in Germany which focuses on extremely low energy use (90% less), 24 hour fresh air, building resiliency, and total occupant comfort. They use only healthy and renewable resources – SFi certified lumber and cellulose and no chemically based foams.

To get a clearer idea of the Passive House methodology, their site states that,

"It employs continuous insulation through its entire envelope without any thermal bridging. The building envelope is extremely airtight, preventing infiltration of outside air and loss of conditioned air. It employs high-performance windows (typically triple-paned) and doors It uses some form of balanced heat- and moisture-recovery ventilation and uses a minimal space conditioning system. Solar gain is managed to exploit the sun’s energy for heating purposes and to minimize it in cooling seasons."

The methodology is being adopted up and down the East and West Coasts; Phoenix Haus is the only company doing prefab Passive House in the entire Midwest.

The building of the merchandise hut takes place at Keyworth starting Monday, May 16 and the home opener is Friday, May 20.