Passive House Podcast

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, co-hosts Jay Fox and Mary James speak with Gaelen McKee, Founder of Brooklyn Solar Works. They dive in to the company's origins, current projects, including work with co-ops and commercial buildings, and their plans for expanding into ground-mounted solar installations. Galen also touches on the impacts of tariffs, permits for residential batteries, and the future of whole-home...

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Matthew Cutler Welsh interviews Jessica, a high-performance building consultant at Climate Shore in Adelaide. They discuss Jessica's transition from energy efficiency compliance to specializing in high-performance building with a focus on mitigating moisture risks. Jessica emphasizes the importance of proper construction practices and ventilation in preventing mold, touching on...

In this episode of the Passive Hosue Podcast, Zack Semke welcomes Michael Quast, the new CEO of Passive House Canada. Michael shares his diverse background in construction, business development, and media, emphasizing his passion for sustainable building. They discuss Michael's journey to Passive House Canada, his experience with straw bale construction, and his focus on fostering collaboration and breaking down silos with...

In this episode of The Passive House Podcast, Mary James interviews Stephen O'Shea, head of Sustainable Construction at Carin Homes. Steven discusses the company's focus on large-scale residential projects, their commitment to Passive House standards, and the significant benefits for residents. He shares his journey from architecture to sustainable design, training strategies for implementing these standards, and the ecolo...

In this tenth episode of The Reimagine Edit, host Zack Semke weaves together insights from a month of dynamic conversations inside the Reimagine Buildings Collective—including AMAs and Reimagine Tuesday interviews. From practical moisture control strategies to the latest in embodied carbon policy, from the efficiencies unlocked by design-build to the evolving role of materials in Passive House, this episode showcases a spe...

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Matthew Cutler Welsh sits down with Arthur Lee to discuss his background in architecture and his work in promoting energy-efficient buildings in New Zealand. Arthur shares his experience with passive house design at Tim Green Architects and his current role at Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust. Lee highlights the trust’s mission to provide affordable, high-quality housin...

In this episode, Matthew shares a compilation of voices from the recent THRIVE 25 Passivhaus Conference held in Melbourne

Alex Slater
 Alex is the founder of Building Physics Pty Ltd, where he combines deep technical expertise with a passion for climate-responsive design. With a background in engineering and years of experience in thermal and hygrothermal simulation, Alex is committed to improving building performanc...

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast Jay Fox talks with Ace McArleton of New Frameworks about building with straw-insulated prefab panels, creating inclusive workspaces in the trades, and launching the Seed Collaborative to scale low-carbon construction through shared knowledge and collective action.

https://www.newframeworks.com/

Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passi...

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Mary James speaks with Barry McCarron, Managing Director of Kore Retrofit, about Ireland’s bold retrofit efforts and Passive House leadership. Barry traces his journey from building the world's largest Passive House Premium project to leading cutting-edge retrofit initiatives through Kore’s one-stop shop model. He shares insights into his PhD research on radon in certified Pass...

In this ninth episode of The Reimagine Edit, host Zack Semke weaves together insights from the Reimagine Buildings 25 conference and a month of rich conversations inside the Reimagine Buildings Collective—including AMAs, Reimagine Tuesday interviews, and the post-conference after party. From the growing momentum behind high-performance prefab to timeless lessons in quality craftsmanship, scale, and impact, this episode cap...

On this episode of the Passive House Podcast join Michael Ingui as he chats with the NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence Round Five Award winners. From groundbreaking Passive House projects in Manhattan, Buffalo, and the South Bronx to deep retrofits and adaptive reuse in Brooklyn and beyond, we hear from architects, developers, and engineers driving high-performance, low-carbon buildings across New York State. With a focus on...

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, hosts Mary James and Ilka Cassidy sit down with Kristina Held, principal and founder of Held Architecture. Kristina shares her fascinating path through architectural education in Serbia, Germany, and the U.S., and how that global experience shaped her approach to Passive House. From humidity challenges in the Carolinas to adaptive reuse and detailing with precision, Kristina of...

In this episode of The Passive House Podcast, Mary James sits down with Parlin Meyer, Managing Principal of BrightBuilt Home, and Chris Lee, Head of Design & Development at Backyard ADUs, for a deep dive into the growing world of accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Together, they explore how prefabrication, modular construction, and progressive policy shifts are reshaping the housing landscape in the Northeast and beyond....

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Jay Fox and Mary James talk with Lisette Wong and Jack Esterson of Think! Architecture & Design to explore the award-winning Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Plaza project. Learn how this project blends community heritage with Passive House sustainability in Harlem. Lisette and Jack share their journey to Passive House, the project’s innovative design features—including advanced HVAC...

In this eighth episode of The Reimagine Edit (TRE) series of the Passive House Podcast, host Zack Semke shares selected clips of insights from Ed May (bldgtyp), Nakita Reed (Quinn Evans), Tessa Bradley (Artisans Group), Bev Craig (MassCEC), Mike Steffen (Walsh Construction), Lisa White (Co-Executive Director of Phius), and Jonsara Ruth and Allison Mears (leaders of Healthy Materials Lab).

Quotes:

Jonsara Ruth:
 "If everyb...

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast Mary James and Jay Fox chat with Sarah Lewis, Research and Policy Director at the Passivhaus Trust. They explore Scotland’s groundbreaking push toward mandatory Passive House standards for new buildings.  Sarah dives into the motivations behind the proposed legislation, lessons from Germany and Brussels, and the vital role of embodied carbon. She also explores the practical impl...

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Matthew Cutler-Welsh talks with Sharon Robinson of Smart Living Spaces. Sharon shares her journey from standard design work to advocating for high-performance, affordable housing. She talks about how rethinking client communication, redefining “standard plans,” and focusing on building science fundamentals like heat recovery, passive design, and smart construction systems can s...

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast Architect Nat Madson and structural engineer Lauren Piepho of HGA join us to talk about Barry Mills Hall and the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies—Bowdoin College’s first mass timber buildings and the first of their kind in Maine. They share the story behind the design and construction, from early ideas sparked by the college’s pine-filled campus and carbon neutral...

In this episode of the hosts Mary James and Jay Fox sit down with Vincent Bergeron, an architect with Equipe A Architects in Quebec, to explore The Monarch—a groundbreaking social housing project in Sherbrooke. With 134 units guaranteed affordable for 35 years, this high-rise development is notable not only for its scale but for its ambitious pivot toward Passive House principles. Van shares how a tight timeline, a challen...