A pioneering passive house retrofit in Sri Lanka creates an economic catalyst and model for sustainable development.

The Star Innovation Center is a product development facility located outside of Colombo in Katunayake, Sri Lanka. Planned as a global model for the entire garment industry, the project sets a new high bar for sustainability, energy efficiency and worker comfort.

The project involved converting an existing manufacturing building into a garment innovation center, combining factory, office and showroom under the same roof. By choosing to renovate an obsolete building to Passive House standards, the project dramatically reduced the waste, carbon emissions and fossil fuels typically required for demolition and new construction.