Passive survivability

Passive survivability refers to a building's ability to maintain critical life-support conditions in the event of extended loss of power, heating fuel, or water.^[1] This idea proposes that designers should incorporate ways for a building to continue sheltering inhabitants for an extended period of time during and after a disaster situation, whether it be a storm that causes a power outage, a drought which limits water supply, or any other possible event.

The term was coined by BuildingGreen President and EBN Executive editor Alex Wilson in 2005 after the wake of Hurricane Katrina.^[2] Passive survivability is suggested to become a standard in the design criteria for houses, apartment buildings, and especially buildings used as emergency shelters. While many of the strategies considered to achieve the goals of passive survivability are not new concepts and have been widely used in green building over the decades, the distinction comes from the motivation for moving towards resilient and safe buildings.^[1]

^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Quinion, Michael. "World Wide Words: Passive Survivability." World Wide Words. 5 Aug. 2003. Web. 2 Dec. 2014.<http://www.worldwidewords.org/turnsofphrase/tp-pas1.htm>[1]

[:1-1] Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[2] Quinion, Michael. "World Wide Words: Passive Survivability." World Wide Words. 5 Aug. 2003. Web. 2 Dec. 2014.<http://www.worldwidewords.org/turnsofphrase/tp-pas1.htm>[1]

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