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…

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 t…

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. L…

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 hygrot…

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…

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 sho…

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 ti…

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 h…

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 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…

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…

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 …

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, …

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 fundament…

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, fro…

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…

In this seventh episode of The Reimagine Edit (TRE) series of the Passive House Podcast, host Zack Semke shares selected clips of insights from Jessica Grove Smith (Joint Managing Director of Passive House Institute), Mark Attard, Rainger Pinney, John Loercher, Galen Staengl, Mike Fowler, Cait Eggers, Sean Velez, Nidhi Shaw, and Lloyd Alter. Quotes…

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast we are joined by Mark Anderson a Registered Master Builder, Licensed Building Practitioner, and Certified Passive House Tradesperson based in Wanaka, New Zealand. Mark founded MA Building in 2013, driven by a commitment to craftsmanship, sustainability, and innovation in residential construction. Growing…

This week on the Passive House Podcast, Jay and Mary welcome Shannon Pendleton, of Source 2050 and Sanderson Sustainable Design, to share her insights from the massive International Builders Show (IBS) in Las Vegas. From electrification trends to American-made high-performance windows, Shannon breaks down where the building industry is headed and h…

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Mary James and Jay Fox dive into passive leisure centers and indoor pool design with Jessica Grove-Smith, Senior Scientist and Joint Managing Director of the Passive House Institute. Jessica shares the story of how PHI began exploring high-humidity building typologies, the unique challenges of designing…

In this sixth episode of The Reimagine Edit (TRE) series of the Passive House Podcast, host Zack Semke shares selected clips of insights from Carmel Pratt (Massive Passive AMA); Graham Irwin and Silas Patlove (Duck Curve Friday AMA); Lloyd Alter (Sufficiency First AMA); Sara Kudra, Bev Craig, Rainger Pinney, Kristof Irwin, and Alexander Gard-Murray…

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Mary James sits down with Hugh Pearce, architect and Passive House lead at the UK-based firm Architype. Known for trailblazing sustainable educational design, Architype is behind landmark projects like the UK’s first Passive House secondary school. Hugh shares insights into the London Docks Secondary Sc…

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast Ilka is at McGill University for the Reconstruct Workshop, a workshop bringing together students, researchers, and industry leaders to tackle the future of deep energy retrofits. Ilka sits down with emerging voices from architecture and engineering to unpack prefab innovation, the Single Integrated Manuf…

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast Matthew Cutler-Welsh sits down with Joseph Lyth an Associate Registered Architect, Certified Passive House Designer based in New Zealand. Joesph walks Matthew through his decision to build a passive house to create a healthier environment for his family. Believing that healthier, lower energy and afforda…

In this special episode of the Passive House Podcast Ilka Cassidy is joined by Kristoff Irwin of Positive Energy at NESEA's BuildingEnergy Boston '25. Ilka and Kristoff are joined by the following inspiring speakers and organizers of NESEA 25: Jacob Deva Racusin, New Frameworks Natural Design/Build Andrew Himes, Carbon Leadership Forum Laura Bailey…