Earlier this month, Berninneit achieved Passivhaus certification – an achievement that makes Berninneit the first Passivhaus-certified public building in Australia to incorporate a professional theatre, public library, gallery and museum within a single building, and only the second building in the world to achieve this milestone.

Since opening in 2023, Berninneit has been recognized with multiple awards for its design and sustainability. Achieving Passivhaus certification is another significant recognition of the vision, collaboration and commitment that delivered this landmark facility for the Bass Coast community.

Passivhaus is regarded as one of the world's most rigorous building performance standards, recognising exceptional energy efficiency, occupant comfort and environmental performance. Achieving certification for a public building of Berninneit's scale and complexity is a considerable accomplishment. Congratulations to everyone involved in bringing this award-winning project to life and helping set a new benchmark for sustainable public buildings in Australia.