Passive House Podcast

In this episode of The Passive House Podcast, Mary James interviews James Hartford and Juhee Lee Hartford of River Architects in Hudson Valley. The discussion covers the firm's focus on Passive House projects, mostly single-family homes with a mix of new constructions and retrofits. They touch on their first retrofit project affected by Hurricane Sandy, the evolving client interest in Passive House standards, and the firm’s growth from two to ten employees. They discuss the financial and practical challenges of Passive House projects, including material and energy considerations, involvement in advocacy through Passive House Hudson Valley, and the growing demand for such homes. They also highlight the benefits of prefab construction in difficult climates and the importance of builder experience. https://www.riverarchitects.com/Video of River Architects' Bank Lofts retrofit project: https://youtu.be/GHLC2xGM-ykBest of Retrofit: https://events.ringcentral.com/events/reimagine-buildings-retrofit/registrationThank 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 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 affordable buildings are possible for everyone in New Zealand, at standard budgets. Lower Saddle Passive House Tāhekeroa: https://nzgbc.org.nz/case-studies/lower-saddle-passive-house-t%C4%81hekeroa

Matthew interviews Enda McDonagh, Certified Passive House Consultant and principal at Montgomery Sisam Architects. Enda studied and worked as Architectural Technician in Dublin where he developed a passion for detailing. In 2010 he moved to Toronto, Canada where he has worked at Montgomery Sisam ever since. His portfolio includes projects for the education, supportive housing, and mental health sectors. Montgomery Sisam is currently working on an affordable housing development in downtown Hamilton. All 24 of the studio apartments are being built offsite and the whole building will be Passive House Certified.  Hamilton Passive House Modular Housing:  https://www.montgomerysisam.com/project/hamilton-passive-house-modular-housing/ Passive House Stories:  https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/oct/08/passion-project-the-passive-house-that-raised-the-roof-on-sustainable-living-passivhaus https://homestylegreen.com/181-hutt-tomorrows-house-today/ https://connectingtoplace.org/sustainability/ https://mithun.com/project/the-bush-school-new-upper-school/ Info about upcoming events:  https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/passive-house-weekly-october-17-2022 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 bonus episode of the Passive House Podcast, Zack Semke talks with Katrin Klingenberg, co-founder and co-executive director of Phius, about the origins of the organization to today's growing national movement. The conversation  looks ahead to PhiusCon 2026 in Phoenix, October 8-10.Attend PhiusCon: https://phius1.zohobackstage.com/PhiusCon2026Join us on the Reimagine Buildings Collective: https://collective.reimaginebuildings.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 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, Ilka Cassidy talks with Michael Jemtrud, professor of architecture at McGill University and chair in Architecture, Energy, and Environment, about his interdisciplinary research lab's work bridging design education and offsite construction. Michael discusses McGill's Reconstruct program and the development of tools to close the "over the wall" gap between architects and manufacturers. The conversation explores how teaching students to think like "virtual framers" could give the next generation of architects a real advantage entering the workforce.https://aeechair.research.mcgill.ca/en/Join us on the Reimagine Buildings Collective: https://collective.reimaginebuildings.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 passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.