Passive House Podcast

In this special bonus episode recorded at the 25th International Passive House Conference presented online by Passive House Institute in September 2021, Passive House Podcast co-host Zack Semke interviews Ron Beattie of Beattie Passive in the UK. Ron discusses his novel approach to delivering prefabricated Passive House retrofits and new construction, the Beattie Passive system. Looking for an inspiring story about the potential for cost-effective transformation of the world's building stock? Look no further.For a special video version of this episode, visit: https://youtu.be/FLcbjdy_qb8Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

In this special bonus episode recorded at the 25th International Passive House Conference presented online by Passive House Institute in September 2021, Passive House Podcast co-host Zack Semke interviews Jessica Grove-Smith and Jan Steiger, both researchers and managing directors at Passive House Institute. Jessica and Jan share their impressions from the conference, including their sense of urgency for a transition to Passive House building and retrofits for climate protection and their recognition of the strong examples of successful projects that were presented at the conference to light the path.For a special video version of this episode, visit: https://youtu.be/_LVILKfvSSgThank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

In this special bonus episode recorded at the 25th International Passive House Conference presented online by Passive House Institute in September 2021, Passive House Podcast co-host Zack Semke interviews Berthold Kaufmann, Senior Scientist at Passive House Institute. Berthold shares his perspectives on next steps for scaling Passive House, his experiences with Passive House in China, and his findings around mechanicals and domestic hot water.For a special video version of this episode, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVnLKJZRPgUThank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

In this special bonus episode recorded at the 25th International Passive House Conference presented online by Passive House Institute in September 2021, Passive House Podcast co-host Zack Semke interviews Giorgia Tzar, Association Management and Communications at the International Passive House Association (iPHA). Giorgia shares the latest about iPHA's Efficiency First campaign, her impressions of the conference, and iPHA's plans for the upcoming COP26 conference in Glasgow.For a special video version of this episode, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMXrhB214r8iPHA's website: https://www.passivehouse-international.org/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/passive-house-instituteTwitter: https://twitter.com/the_iPHAFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/PassiveHouseInternationalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/passivehouse_international/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrO62YaHJbtZgZXk-m57B-g/videosThank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

In this special bonus episode recorded at the 25th International Passive House Conference presented online by Passive House Institute in September 2021, Passive House Podcast co-host Zack Semke interviews Passive House Institute researcher and Managing Director Benjamin Krick. Benjamin shares his impressions of the conference as well as key insights about embodied energy, embodied carbon, and Passive House practice.For a video version of this episode, visit: https://youtu.be/3y3XFHYfY7cThank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Passive House Podcast co-host Zack Semke interviews Shannon Pendleton, principal of Sanderson Sustainable Design and co-host of Passive House Accelerator Construction Tech. Shannon shares about her practice and how the Passive House approach has shaped it, the recent history of green building community building in Philadelphia, and the potential for an open-source approach to sharing building models (aka "digital twins") to help accelerate the transition to Passive House and high performance building. For links to the events that Zack and co-host Matthew Cutler-Welsh discuss at the end of the episode, visit: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-october-4Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

In this special bonus episode recorded at the 25th International Passive House Conference presented online by Passive House Institute in September 2021, Passive House Podcast co-host Zack Semke interviews Susanne Winkel, Head of Training and Education at Passive House Institute, and Aisha Liebehenz, Associate Manager of Training and Education at Passive House Institute. They dive into the latest developments around training certifications and marks available to Passive House tradespeople and designers.For a video version of this episode, visit https://youtu.be/8y5oskIgBj0Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

In this special bonus episode recorded at the 25th International Passive House Conference presented online by Passive House Institute in September 2021, Passive House Podcast co-host Zack Semke interviews Rainer Pfluger, a professor at the University of Innsbruck and a key player in the OutPHit initiative. Rainer explains this effort to deliver EnerPHit-level retrofits at scale. For a video version of this episode, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih7QOLcV1jgThank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Passive House Podcast co-host Matthew Cutler-Welsh interviews Jason Quinn, founding director of Sustainable Engineering Ltd. Jason spent a decade as a rocket scientist at NASA before he and his family relocated to New Zealand in 2009. He soon became one of New Zealand’s first certified Passive House designers and in 2016 traveled to Germany for further training and exams to become the country’s first Passive House certifier. Jason is an internationally-known thought leader, communicator, and practitioner whose work focuses on the intersection of physics and building design. Matthew and Jason's conversation ranges from the compendium of building details that Jason recently spearheaded, to the relationship between international ISO standards and PHI's Passive House standard, to the power of the simple maxim "cold spots create mold spots", and to Jason's current building science practice. The building details compendium that Jason and Matthew discuss, the High-Performance Construction Details handbook, was spearheaded by Passive House Institute New Zealand (PHINZ). View it at: https://passivehouse.nz/hpcd-handbook/For more info about the events that Matthew and cohost Zack Semke discuss at the end of the episode, visit: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-september-27Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Passive House Podcast co-host Matthew Cutler-Welsh interviews Maria Callau, Director of SUR Architecture in Dunedin, New Zealand. The conversation delves into Callau's research into fuel poverty in New Zealand, the Passive House High Street Co-housing Development that she and her family are residents of, and her architectural practice at SUR. For links to the events that Matthew and co-host Zack Semke discuss at the end of the episode, visit: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-september-20Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Passive House Podcast cohost Matthew Cutler-Welsh interviews Mark Siddall, architect, founder, and director of low energy architecture at LEAP (http://leap4.it/). He’s passionate about enabling people to lead happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives by helping them create a comfortable lifestyle in beautiful, quality assured, ultra low energy homes, workplaces and communities.Prof. Wolfgang Feist says of Mark, “... he is one of the pioneers to introduce Passivhaus to the UK. His experience and ongoing research into building performance makes him one of the UK’s most skilled and knowledgeable Passivhaus Architects. ...I have no doubt that Mark Siddall’s buildings also offer an economical, attractive solution to the investors.”Matthew and cohost Zack Semke discuss upcoming Passive House events. Find links here: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-september-6Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

To kick off Season 2 of the Passive House Podcast, Mary James and Ilka Cassidy interview Mackenzie Stickney, Project Manager at [bundle] Design Studio, a leader of sustainable design that works out of a PHIUS-certified Passive House tiny trailer in Bellingham, Washington. She's a Passive House practitioner, woodworker, and dynamic young innovator in climate-wise building design.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

In this Encore Episode of the Passive House Podcast (originally aired as Episode 29 on International Women's Day, March 7, 2021), guest co-hosts Mary James and Ilka Cassidy interview two exciting guests who are collaborating on a retrofit guide for common building typologies found in cold climates. Nina Sharifi is an assistant professor at Syracuse University’s School of Architecture and the Director of the Applied Sciences and Technology Research and Architecture Lab. Gabrielle Brainard is an architect, facade specialist, and educator. She consults on Passive House projects, conducts academic research, and teaches architecture and building science at Pratt Institute and the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.The envelope retrofit guide that they are collaborating on will provide technical guidance to architects in the early stages of net-zero retrofit projects. The guide focuses on the building envelope, a critical component of high-performance retrofits that is the primary responsibility of the architect. During their interview with Mary and Ilka, Nina and Gaby discuss the retrofit guide project, dive into an explanation of the field of architectural sciences and how Passive House design meshes with it, and explore the overlap of architecture, construction, and technology in Passive House project delivery. They also reflect on their experience as women in the fields of architecture and construction, and in working to catalyze the transition to high-performance, low carbon building. Mary, Matthew Cutler-Welsh, and Zack Semke mention upcoming Passive House Accelerator programming for September, including: The Global Passive House Showcase (formerly known as the Global Passive House Happy Hour): https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/our-happy-hour-to-become-the-global-passive-house-showcaseConstruction Tech Tuesday: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/construction-tech-is-back-soonThank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

In this Encore Episode of the Passive House Podcast (originally aired as Episode 37 on May 3, 2021), guest co-hosts Mary James and Ilka Cassidy interview Katie Faulkner, founder of WestFaulkner, an office with a mission for sustainable design. She is also a director at PT-Tech, a division of Placetailor in Boston whose initial focus is on the design and prefabrication of retrofit panels for triple-decker homes.Katie has been working as an architect for more than 20 years and was named to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows in 2020. Her work is motivated by an interest in sustainable, modular construction, centered on the intention to reduce risk and improve cost control. She was a founding partner of the Boston-based firm NADAAA, where her projects included the Daniels Building at University of Toronto, Rhode Island School of Design’s North Hall, and the R+D Center at the Beaver School. More recently, she was a Vice President of Design for Katerra, focusing on a mid-rise mass timber housing prototype.Mary and Ilka’s conversation with Katie ranges from the career opportunities that prefabrication opens up for women to the urgency of deep energy retrofits, and much in between. Her early work in healthcare design led to an abiding interest in optimized project delivery models, while always keeping sustainable design front and center. Katie’s decades-long experience is well suited to her current collaboration with Placetailor to bring to market cost-effective bio-based retrofit panels.At the end of this encore episode, Mary, Matthew Cutler-Welsh, and Zack Semke discuss major Passive House conferences and events coming up in Fall 2021: 25th International Passive House Conference (Passive House Institute) Part I: September 10-12; Part II: September 14+15: https://passivhaustagung.de/en/Tower Retrofit Symposium 2021 (Passive House Canada) September 22-23: https://www.passivehousecanada.com/tower-retrofit/PhiusCon (Phius) October 12-15: http://phiuscon.org/South Pacific Passive House Conference (PHINZ + APHA) November 25-27: https://passivehouse.nz/2021/06/09/spphc21-cfa/Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

In this Encore Episode of the Passive House Podcast (originally aired as Episode 20 on January 4, 2021), cohost Matthew Cutler-Welsh interviews Daniel Kress. Daniel is a prolific Passive House educator, having trained over half of Australia’s certified Passive House professionals. Matthew and Daniel discuss his work at Smart Plus Academy, the educational consultancy that Daniel founded and directs, as well as his work promulgating Passive House in Australia and beyond. At the end of the episode, Mathew and Co-host Zack Semke discuss major Passive House conferences and events coming up in Fall 2021: 25th International Passive House Conference (Passive House Institute) Part I: September 10-12; Part II: September 14+15: https://passivhaustagung.de/en/Tower Retrofit Symposium 2021 (Passive House Canada) September 22-23: https://www.passivehousecanada.com/tower-retrofit/PhiusCon (Phius) October 12-15: http://phiuscon.org/South Pacific Passive House Conference (PHINZ + APHA) November 25-27: https://passivehouse.nz/2021/06/09/spphc21-cfa/Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

In this Encore Episode of the Passive House Podcast (originally aired as Episode 36 on April 26, 2021). cohost Matthew Cutler-Welsh interviews Robyn Wark, Manager of Advanced Demand Side Management at BC Hydro about the groundbreaking Energy Step Code in British Columbia. Robyn is a sustainability strategist, partnership builder, and coach on low carbon communities. Her sustainability work has won awards from Real Estate Foundation of BC, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Canadian Institute of Planners, and the Planning Institute of British Columbia (PIBC). In 2013 she was awarded the PIBC Individual Award for Leadership in Advocacy & Innovation. The BC Step Code provides a roadmap of 5 steps to guide the AEC industry and BC cities from today's base building code to an endpoint of Passive House-levels of performance. This highest level of performance, “Step 5”, will become mandatory for all buildings in British Columbia by 2032. Because everyone knows exactly where code is headed, as well as the steps to get there, early adoption of higher levels of performance can be incentivized in a clear and rational way. In her conversation with Matthew, Robyn describes the BC Energy Step Code, how it came to be in British Columbia, and how its lessons might be applied elsewhere in the world. Read more about BC Energy Step Code here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/construction-industry/building-codes-and-standards/reports/bcenergystepcode_lessons_learned_final.pdfAt the end of the episode, Mathew and Co-host Zack Semke discuss major Passive House conferences and events coming up in Fall 2021: 25th International Passive House Conference (Passive House Institute) Part I: September 10-12; Part II: September 14+15: https://passivhaustagung.de/en/Tower Retrofit Symposium 2021 (Passive House Canada) September 22-23: https://www.passivehousecanada.com/tower-retrofit/PhiusCon (Phius) October 12-15: http://phiuscon.org/South Pacific Passive House Conference (PHINZ + APHA) November 25-27: https://passivehouse.nz/2021/06/09/spphc21-cfa/Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

In this 50th regular episode of the Passive House Podcast (and the last installment of Season 1), cohost Zack Semke interviews Jeremy Avellino, founder and principal of Philadelphia-based Bright Common Architecture & Design, the 2021 recipient of the prestigious Design Vanguard award from Architectural Record. Jeremy talks about his firm's practice and shares his perspectives about the work of centering equity in housing and Passive House design.Bright Common website: https://www.brightcommon.com/Architectural Record piece about Bright Common and the Design Vanguard 2021 award:https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/15160-design-vanguard-2021-bright-commonWeek in Preview for links to upcoming Passive House events: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-august-2Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 18th of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews Sophia Rini of ROCKWOOL North America.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 17th of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews Mikhail Haramati of NYSERDA and Bronwyn Barry of NAPHN.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 16th of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews Lori Atwater of Transformation Village.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 15th of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews Mary Anne Akers, Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning at Morgan State University.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 14th of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, Kevin Brennan flips the script and interviews Zack Semke, Director of Passive House Accelerator and cohost of the Passive House Podcast.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 13th of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews Kevin Brennan of Brennan Brennan Airtightness and Insulation and cohost of Passive House Accelerator Construction Tech.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Passive House Podcast cohost Matthew Cutler-Welsh interviews Mark Wille, Carpenter and Storyteller at Tstud and cohost of Passive House Accelerator's Construction Tech program every Tuesday. Mark shares his childhood growing up a stone's throw from the lumberyard his dad managed, his early adoption of green building principles and materials, and the opportunities for scaling up Passive House construction.Near the end of the episode, Matthew and cohost Zack Semke refer to upcoming events and programming. Find links to those here: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-july-26.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 12th of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews Eddy Voltaire of Design Construction & Sustainability, Inc., and of the NAPHN Board of Directors.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 11th of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews Ken Levenson of NAPHN.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 10th of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews Craig Stevenson of Auros Group and NAPHN.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 9th of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews Shannon Pendleton, principal of Sanderson Sustainable Design.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 8th of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews Bronwyn Barry, outgoing Board Chair of NAPHN and principal at Passive House BB.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Passive House Podcast cohost Matthew Cutler-Welsh interviews Norm Horn, CPHC, CPHT and Design+Build Project Manager at Envinity in State College, Pennsylvania. They discuss Norm's path from landscape architecture student to builder to reluctant energy efficient building practitioner to full bore Passive House tradesperson and consultant. They also dive into Norm's current project, an EnerPHit Passive House retrofit of a 12,000 square foot, 3-storey masonry building in State College. Near the end of the episode, Matthew and cohost Zack Semke refer to upcoming events and programming. Find links to those here: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-july-19Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 7th of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews In Cho, founding principal at ChoShields Studio.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 6th of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews Derrick Tillman, President and CEO of Bridging the Gap Development.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 5th of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews José Sosa, founder of the Panama Passivhaus Chapter at Latin American Passivhaus Institute.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 4th of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews Beth Eckenrode Co-Founder of Auros Group.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 3rd of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews Edie Dillman, CEO and Co-Founder of B.Public Prefab.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 2nd of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews Lois Arena, director of Passive House Services at Steven Winter Associates. Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Catch this special bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, recorded at North American Passive House Network’s conference, “Passive House for All", in June 2021 in New York City. In this, the 1st of 18 interviews we recorded amidst the hustle and bustle of the conference hall floor, cohost Zack Semke interviews Michael Ingui, principal at Baxt Ingui Architects and founder of Passive House Accelerator.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Passive House Podcast cohost Zack Semke interviews Chris Ballard, CEO of Passive House Canada. Chris took the helm of PHC in 2019 and he brings a timely skillset to the role: deep knowledge of and experience with the levers of policy and government action. He has a strong history of climate-related work, most recently as Ontario’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change. He also served as the Minister of Housing, the Minister responsible for Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, and the Executive Director of the 60,000 member Consumers’ Association of Canada (Ontario), among many other leadership roles during his career. Chris shares his path to Passive House and dives into Passive House Canada’s exciting policy and educational initiatives at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels. Many listeners will be aware of the leadership that cities and provinces in Canada are taking in advancing Passive House adoption. Learn how that work is being ushered forward, and coaxed into being, by a key Passive House institution, its staff, and its leader.Cohost Matthew Cutler-Welsh and Zack discuss several upcoming events at the end of the episode. More info at: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-july-12Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Mary James and Ilka Cassidy interview Grace Park-Bradbury, general manager west and head of strategic initiatives for Blocpower. Since Blocpower’s founding in 2014, the company has retrofitted more than 1,000 buildings in disadvantaged communities in New York City, with projects underway in 24 cities. Grace discusses her role in stitching together financing incentives for their customers, ensuring that health and comfort are not exclusively available to those with money.To access the links for upcoming events that cohost Zack Semke mentions, visit https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-july-5Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Co-host Matthew Cutler-Welsh interviews Shaun St-Amour, education and outreach expert at 475 High Performance Building Supply, Passive House evangelist, and a frequent fixture at Passive House Accelerator as Q&A Concierge at the Global Passive House Happy Hour and Co-host of Construction Tech Tuesday. Matthew and Shaun discuss Shaun's family legacy in construction, his background in prefab, his journey to Passive House, his work establishing the Ice Box Challenge in Vancouver and its subsequent tour across North America, and much more. Watch this video of Shaun St-Amour and the Ice Box Challenge team in Seattle, WA for the 2017 installation as part of the Seattle Design Festival: https://youtu.be/kZZM17L-uVcFor links to the events that Matthew and Co-host Zack Semke discuss at the end of the episode, visit: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-june-21Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, co-host Matthew Cutler-Welsh interviews architect Kyle Mills, Director of BluKube Architecture in Sydney, Australia, and pioneer of both Passive House practice and education Down Under. Their conversation touches on Kylie's early builder apprenticeship with her father and the insights that has brought to her work with tradespeople onsite, her experience watching the trades in Australia ramp up on Passive House practice enough to start enabling deeper Passive House retrofits, and her thoughts about the future of Passive House in Australia.Near the end of the episode, Matthew and cohost Zack Semke discuss upcoming events, details about which can be found here: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-june-21Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

In this, the first special Passive House Component episode of the Passive House Podcast, cohost Zack Semke speaks with Rob Conboy, CEO of Glavel, an industry innovator and founding sponsor of Passive House Accelerator. Rob and Zack dive into Glavel’s origin story, its commitment to 100% clean energy use in the production of its foam glass gravel, the firm's moves to weave equity and inclusion into its company DNA, and its quest to eliminate operational and embodied carbon emissions from buildings throughout North America. Glavel takes recycled glass and transforms it into a low embodied carbon, insulative gravel that replaces both gravel and foam board insulation at the foundations of Passive House buildings. It’s revolutionary stuff, and Rob and his team are harnessing that revolutionary spirit to build a manufacturing operation that will accelerate the transition to healthy, resilient, and climate-wise buildings. Have a listen!Check out the video version of this special episode here: https://youtu.be/w3inUmTDYv8Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Mary James and Ilka Cassidy talk with Meleny Thomas, executive director of the South Baltimore Community Land Trust (SBCLT), about the organization’s mission to create community-led development and her decision to target Passive House for their initial development of 10 new homes. The choice sets a precedent for healthy homes not being restricted to affluent communities, Thomas says, in discussing how she first heard about Passive House and why she chose it as a target. SBCLT grew out of a decade of grassroots and youth organizing in a community burdened by unsafe, unaffordable housing and toxic environmental hazards. Thomas has more than 15 years of experience building community-based organizations and serving families and has a Master’s in nonprofit management and leadership.Find links to upcoming events here: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-june-13Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Passive House Podcast cohost Matthew Cutler-Welsh interviews Brian Guinan, Certified Passive House Consultant, Certified Passive House Tradesperson, and Owner/Director of ISMART Building Group in Perth, Australia. The two discuss Brian’s apprenticeship as a builder in his native Ireland, his time in construction in New York City, and his journey to Passive House construction in Western Australia. Brian shares his insights around transforming industry practice, and the importance of focusing on improvements to existing technologies and construction approaches in order to achieve the most rapid change. He shares lots more about his work to build awareness about Passive House and to build examples as proof-of-concept for builders, trades, architects, and homeowners. Matthew and cohost Zack Semke talk about the upcoming NAPHN hybrid conference, Passive House For All, that will take place on June 10 and 11, 2021. For links to this event as well as many other upcoming Passive House gatherings and trainings, visit: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-june -7Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

José Sosa trained as a structural architect in Panama City before attending New York City College to complete a Masters in Sustainability in the Urban Environment. Professionally, he’s worked in both Panama and New York, often on high-performance projects. As well as working as an architect, José has also supported other designers with the specification and supply of high performance windows, often for Passive House projects. José became a Certified Passive House Designer in 2018 and the following year he founded the Panama Chapter of the Latin American Passivhaus Institute.Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Guest co-hosts Mary James and Ilka Cassidy talk with architect Petra Wörner, managing partner of wörner traxler richter, about heading up the design of the world’s first hospital targeting the international Passive House standard. Klinikum Frankfurt Höchst, currently under construction in Frankfurt, Germany, will open its doors next year. The 839,585sf facility recently passed the all-important airtightness test with an impressive result of 0.13 ACH50, bringing the hospital a giant step closer to certification.Mary, Ilka, Matthew Cutler-Welsh, and Zack Semke refer to upcoming Passive House events at the end of the episode, which can be found here: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-may-24Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

In this episode, Passive House Podcast cohost Zack Semke interviews Bomee Jung, recently of NYCHA (NY City Housing Authority) and now principal of Topsight Advisors. Bomee discusses her involvement in early efforts to address climate action and buildings, the role that affordable housing providers are playing to reset our collective understanding of what “housing quality” should mean (ie. Passive House), and the ways that Passive House practitioners and organizations can help advance racial equity both in the AEC industry and in the built environment. Don’t miss Bomee’s contributions to our Passive House Policy Summit and her recent interview with Chris Benedict about the health impacts of compartmentalization in multifamily buildings. Zack and cohost Matthew Cutler-Welsh also discuss upcoming events that can be found in our Passive House Week in Preview: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-may-10Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Sixteen years in the UK Royal Navy not only gave John Palmer a sounds background in engineering, he also gained leadership and management experience within a large and structured institution. When he made the decision to leave his Commander role, he retrained and applied his technical and management skills to building and then energy efficiency. It was only a matter of time that he came across and then fully embraced the building science of Passive House. In 2018 he left his role as Managing Director of Enhabit to become the Research and Policy Director for Passivhaus Trust. During this interview, cohost Matthew Cutler-Welsh questions John about his recommendations for Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), a common method of comparing theoretical building energy efficiency in Europe and the UK. Mathew and cohost Zack Semke discuss upcoming Passive House events that can be found here: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-may-3Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

On Episode 37 of the Passive House Podcast, guest co-hosts Mary James and Ilka Cassidy interview Katie Faulkner, founder of WestFaulkner, an office with a mission for sustainable design. She is also a director at PT-Tech, a division of Placetailor in Boston whose initial focus is on the design and prefabrication of retrofit panels for triple decker homes.Katie has been working as an architect for more than 20 years and was named to the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows in 2020. Her work is motivated by an interest in sustainable, modular construction, centered on the intention to reduce risk and improve cost control. She was a founding partner of the Boston-based firm NADAAA, where her projects included the Daniels Building at University of Toronto, Rhode Island School of Design’s North Hall, and the R+D Center at the Beaver School. More recently, she was a Vice President of Design for Katerra, focusing on a mid-rise mass timber housing prototype. Mary and Ilka’s conversation with Katie ranges from the career opportunities that prefabrication opens up for women to the urgency of deep energy retrofits, and much in between. Her early work in healthcare design led to an abiding interest in optimized project delivery models, while always keeping sustainable design front and center. Katie’s decades-long experience is well suited to her current collaboration with Placetailor to bring to market cost-effective bio-based retrofit panels.Mary, Ilka, Matthew Cutler-Welsh, and Zack Semke discuss upcoming events that can be accessed here: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-may-3Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

On Episode 36 of the Passive House Podcast. cohost Matthew Cutler-Welsh interviews Robyn Wark, Manager of Advanced Demand Side Management at BC Hydro about the groundbreaking Energy Step Code in British Columbia. Robyn is a sustainability strategist, partnership builder, and coach on low carbon communities. Her sustainability work has won awards from Real Estate Foundation of BC, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Canadian Institute of Planners, and the Planning Institute of British Columbia (PIBC). In 2013 she was awarded the PIBC Individual Award for Leadership in Advocacy & Innovation. The BC Step Code provides a roadmap of 5 steps to guide the AEC industry and BC cities from today's base building code to an endpoint of Passive House-levels of performance. This highest level of performance, “Step 5”, will become mandatory for all buildings in British Columbia by 2032. Because everyone knows exactly where code is headed, as well as the steps to get there, early adoption of higher levels of performance can be incentivized in a clear and rational way. In her conversation with Matthew, Robyn describes the BC Energy Step Code, how it came to be in British Columbia, and how its lessons might be applied elsewhere in the world. (She’ll expand upon these ideas at our Passive House Summit on Monday, April 26, too!) Read more about BC Energy Step Code here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/construction-industry/building-codes-and-standards/reports/bcenergystepcode_lessons_learned_final.pdfMatthew and cohost Zack Semke discuss upcoming events. Link to those in Passive Hosue Accelerator's Week in Preview: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-week-in-preview-april-26Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.