Passive House Podcast

 In this episode of the Passive House Podcast Mary James talks with David Komet about the journey of turning an underutilized urban site into a state-of-the-art pickleball facility designed with sustainability, community value, and innovative engineering at its core.   David shares how a chance proposal led to a pivot from residential development to creating a Passive House-compliant sports venue....

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, we sit down with James Clarke, General Manager of NZSIP, to explore his journey from high-end construction in London to leading sustainable building innovations in New Zealand. James shares his passion for creating healthier, more resilient homes after a personal encounter with New Zealand's housing challenges. Discover how Structural Insulated Panels...

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Mary James and Ilka Cassidy talk with Joanna Lockhart of Tetra Tech Europe. As the Associate Director of Architecture, Joanna leads a specialized team focused on net zero, whole-life carbon, and circular building approaches. She shares her experience in designing sustainable, low-carbon buildings for the UK’s Ministry of Defense, navigating complex car...

In this special component episode of the Passive House Podcast, Matthew Cutler-Welsh interviews Hugh Whiriskey of Partel. Hugh shares insights into Partel’s approach to energy-efficient building, including updates on their popular ExoPerm 250 membrane and the company’s move towards more sustainable, durable building solutions. They also dive into the importance of environmental product declaration...

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Lloyd Alter shares stories from his recent trip to New Zealand. We dive into the "missed opportunities" he saw in Christchurch's post-earthquake rebuild and the broader evolution of Passive House standards. Lloyd discusses the impact of thoughtful building design, sufficiency in architecture, and what can be learned from New Zealand’s unique challenges...

 In this Component Spotlight episode of the Passive House Podcast, co-host Jay Fox sits down with Aaron Frazier from Longboard to dive into innovative cladding solutions, with a special focus on the Hitch System. Discover how Longboard's extruded aluminum products, from tongue-and-groove siding to their advanced cladding attachment systems, enhance durability, reduce embodied carbon, and improve e...

 In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Jesse Hunt of Emergent Development joins the podcast to share his journey of developing Houston's first Passive House. He discusses his passion for passive building and the how taking the leap to develop his own project has changed everything for him. https://www.emergentdev.co/ Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about...

This week on the Passive House Podcast, Matthew Cutler-Welsh takes us inside PHINZ 2024 for insightful conversations with Alex Slater, Delia Bellaby, Dr. Emina Kristina Petrovic, Lloyd Alter, and Nikki Kruger. Together, they explore the future of sustainable architecture, from the health impacts of building materials to the intricacies of the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP), and the recent u...

In this special component spotlight episode of the Passive House Podcast, host Zack Semke caught up with Adam White, CEO and co-founder of Intelligent Membranes . Adam shares exciting updates on the company’s innovative Passive Purple products, their recent rebranding Net Zero Heroes, and global expansion. Discover how Intelligent Membranes is revolutionizing zero-carbon building with their eco-fr...

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Co-host  Zack Semke sits down with James Ortega, the Certification Program Director at Phius. James shares insights on the evolving role of Phius, the shift from small-scale homes to larger multifamily and high-rise buildings, and the exponential growth of certified square footage in passive buildings. He also dives into the upcoming Phius Pro Forum in...

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, co-host Zack Semke is joined by Kim Davis, Programs Manager, and Michael Ingui, Founder of Passive House Accelerator. The team dives into exciting new developments at the Accelerator, from survey-driven programming changes to a sneak peek of the upcoming Reimagined Buildings Collective. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at how they're shaping the fu...

In this episode of the Passive House podcast, Co-Hosts Ilka and Mary chat with Sandra Rohler from Cornerstone Architecture. They explore creative approaches to addressing the housing supply crisis, focusing on co-housing as a model for sustainable, community-focused living. Sandra shares insights from her experience with the Little Mountain Co-housing project in Vancouver, a Passive House-certifie...

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Co-host Ilka Cassidy and Mary James talk with Christina Boyer, architect, and Matt Bolen, Managing Principal architect at McCallum Sather. They discuss their work in advancing high-performance housing in Ontario, particularly in the Kitchener-Waterloo region. With a focus on sustainable design, they share insights into using mass timber and Passive Hou...

In this episode of the Passive House Accelerator Podcast, Nathan St. Germain, founder of Studio St. Germain discusses his firm’s philosophy of “building to give back." Nathan explores the concept of aging in place and how Passive House design can create a therapeutic, livable environment for people as they age. He highlights his work on the Wilkinsburg Passive House project, where the focus on air...

In our final episode of our Cooling and Summer Resiliency series we asked you our audience "What's your DIY cooling/summer resilience solution?". Co-Hosts Zack, Mary, Matthew and Ilka discuss your responses and dive into their own DIY solutions.  From running bathroom fans all night to strategic shading solutions, hear practical advice from Passive House enthusiasts across North America. Plus, dis...

In this fourth episode of our Cooling and Sumer Resiliency series, co-host Ilka Cassidy delves into the intricacies of cooling and resilience in building design with some of North America's leading energy modelers. Join us as Prudence Ferreira, Ryan Abendroth, and Christina Snyder share their experiences, challenges, and strategies for predicting and mitigating overheating in buildings. From the b...

In this third episode of our Cooling and Sumer Resiliency series, we welcome back Andy Marlow to discuss the unique challenges of designing Passive Houses in Australia's increasingly hot and varied climate. We dive into the nuances of maintaining comfort in the face of rising temperatures, the importance of shading, and the evolving role of mechanical cooling. Andy shares insights on the balance b...

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast we revisit a previous episode with John Semmelhack, co-owner of the Comfort Squad based in Charlottesville, Virginia, and a member of the Phius Technical Committee. In their conversation Zack and John discuss the increasing impact of wildfire smoke on indoor air quality across North America. They explore both immediate and long-term strategies to protec...

In this episode of the Passive House Accelerator podcast, we're kicking off a special summer mini-series on cooling and summer resiliency. Host Mary James is joined by mechanical engineer, Galen Staengl and Tad Everhart of CertiPHIers Cooperative. Galen shares insights from his extensive experience in energy-efficient green building and Passive House design, emphasizing the importance of holistic,...

In this episode of Passive House Podcast, co-host Mary James reconnects Bronwyn Barry in her new project in Sacramento, California during a Passive House Open House Days. Bronwyn emphasizes the importance of both operational energy efficiency and embodied carbon reduction. The episode highlights innovative building materials, such as dense pack cellulose and rigid exterior hemp insulation, and tou...

In this episode of Passive House Podcast, co-host Matthew Cutler-Welsh reconnects with Alex Slater from Shared Spaces to delve into the latest advancements and challenges in sustainable design. Alex shares his recent work on the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) and its application in compliance with Australian building regulations. They discuss the significance of energy efficiency, the impac...

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast Zack Semke welcomes back Lisa White, Associate Director of Phius. A renowned thought leader in the intersection of buildings and the clean energy transition, Lisa shares insights from her work, especially the Architect's Guide to Ultra-Low Energy Buildings, Microgrids, and Direct Current. She and Zack also discuss Phius's exciting revision of its Revive...

In the final part of our series on circular construction co-hosts Mary James and Ilka Cassidy are joined by Felix Heisel, an architect, professor at Cornell University, and director of the Circular Construction Lab.  Learn about the principles of circular construction, urban mining, and the significance of deconstruction over demolition. Discover how Felix's lab is pushing the boundaries of sustai...

In this special bonus episode recorded at the 2024 Passive House Canada Conference in Victoria, BC co-host of the Passive House Podcast Mary James interviews Chris Ballard of Passive House Canada. https://conference.passivehousecanada.com/ Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseacceler...

In this special bonus episode recorded at the 2024 Passive House Canada Conference in Victoria, BC co-host of the Passive House Podcast Mary James interviews Morgan Wright and Christina Boyer of mcCallumSather. https://www.mccallumsather.com/ https://conference.passivehousecanada.com/ Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our...