231: Building the Movement: BuildingEnergy Boston '25
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/BuildAndrew Himes, Carbon Leadership ForumLaura Bailey, Vermont Council On Rural DevelopmentHeather Ferrell, Prism Design LabThey dive in to the conferences main take aways, lessons learned, and calls to action.Speaker links:https://www.newframeworks.com/https://carbonleadershipforum.org/https://www.vtrural.org/https://www.prismdesignlab.org/https://positiveenergy.pro/https://positiveenergy.pro/building-science-podcastIlkas call to action resources:https://www.echo-project.info/https://www.greencommons.net/peer-networkshttps://www.climateheritage.org/https://www.mep2040.org/https://nesea.org/about-buildingenergy-bottom-lineshttp://massdesigngroup.org/work/research/bio-based-materials-collectivehttps://www.buildersforclimateaction.org/https://se2050.org/
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TRE 05: Paradigms, Retrofits, and How To Sell Passive House
In this fifth episode of The Reimagine Edit (TRE) series of the Passive House Podcast, host Zack Semke shares selected clips of insights from Ryan Abendroth (how to get into PH consulting), Michael Ingui (how to sell Passive Hosue), Kristof Irwin (paradigms in high performance building), and Tom Bassett-Dilley (retrofits and embodied carbon).The Reimagine Edit is a special series of the Passive House Podcast that shares curated insights from our Experts-In-Residence at the Reimagine Buildings Collective, our membership community of building professionals stepping up to tackle climate change. Learn more about the Reimagine Buildings Collective at https://www.reimaginebuildings.comThank 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.
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230: Designing for Fire Resilience with Tonje Wold-Switzer
In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Mary James and Jay Fox sit down with Tonje Wold-Switzer, Executive Director of the Santa Cruz County Long Term Recovery Group. Tonje shares her personal journey of losing her home, navigating the recovery process, and advocating for fire-resilient, sustainable rebuilding solutions—including Passive House design. Tune in for insights on disaster response, and how communities can prepare for future wildfires.How This Family Rebuilt Their Home Stronger after Wild Fire video: https://youtu.be/becjK7WMNXASanta Cruz County Long Term Recovery Group: https://www.santacruzcountyca.gov/OR3/Recovery/LongTermRecoveryGroup.aspx
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229: Building Airtight Homes with Barry Cope
In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, we welcome Barry Cope, Group Managing Director of the Building Compliance Testers Association (BCTA). Barry shares insights into airtightness testing, certification, and how the UK became a leader in 100% blower door testing for new buildings. He discusses the role of ATTMA, the evolution of the industry, and how airtightness impacts building performance, moisture control, and energy efficiency. The Building Performance Hub: https://www.bcta.group/tbph/The Building Performance Hub Podcast: https://www.bcta.group/tbph/tbph-podcasts/
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228: Kirstie Wulf on Hempcrete & Resilient Homes
In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Matthew Cutler-Welsh sits down with Kirstie Wulf of Shelter Building Design. Based in Australia’s Blue Mountains, Kirstie shares how she built her own hempcrete home, the benefits of this natural material, and how it stands up to fire, floods, and extreme weather. If you’re curious about sustainable building, passive house principles, or just love a great career change story, this one’s for you!https://shelterbuildingdesign.com.au/
Ireland