Passive House Podcast

Matthew Cutler-Welsh, Zack Semke, Mary James, and Ilka Cassidy

Interviews with the leaders, practitioners, and change-makers in the global Passive House movement. A production of Passive House Accelerator.

  1. 281: BuildingEnergy Boston 2026 Part 1

    3D AGO

    281: BuildingEnergy Boston 2026 Part 1

    In this episode of The Passive House Podcast, Ilka Cassidy and Jacob Racusin are at the BuildingEnergy Boston 2026 Conference (Sponsored by New Energy Works). Ilka and Jacob speak with: Gregory Smith, Architect at Moody NolanClay Tilton, Existing Buildings Program ManagerBuilt Environment Plus (BE+)Arlen Li, Fitwel Ambassador, Planning PrincipalHGAAnthony Michetti, Director of Sustainability, Cell Signaling TechnologyJulie Newman, PhDDirector of SustainabilityMassachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)Steve Hessler Building Systems Specialist at New Energy Works | Certified Passive House Consultant at Holzraum SystemBryan Bleiere, Director of Offsite Construction at New Energy WorksLuke Winston-Almanzar CEO, Co-Founder ReservoirThey discuss the conference mood amid political and economic headwinds, the theme “Don’t Stop Us Now,” and a keynote on “The Cost of Pausing” featuring MIT and Cell Signaling Technology, emphasizing business cases and co-benefits for maintaining climate goals. Conference co-chairs Clay Hilton and Greg Smith highlight curation, community-building, and student participation. Trade-floor interviews feature Reservoir’s smart heat-pump water heater with predictive controls and recirculation, and New Energy Works’ timber/panelization work and foam-free assemblies. https://nesea.org/conference/schedule/50140 https://newenergyworks.com/ https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/component-spotlight-rethinking-domestic-hot-water-intro... 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.

    1h 15m
  2. TRE 16: Beyond Building Science

    MAR 24

    TRE 16: Beyond Building Science

    Building science is at the core of high-performance construction, but it takes more than an understanding of psi-values and hygrothermal dynamics to actually get these buildings built. As we see in this episode, having a real-world understanding of materials science, finance, and how people actually work together is yet another component to this line of work. Granted, there’s still a lot of building science involved, as emphasized by the clips featuring Ed May and Ben Bogie, but this episode of The Reimagine Edit series of the Passive House Podcast should be a reminder that construction touches loads of academic fields, and that the status of expert will forever be a moving target in an evolving industry. In this episode, host Zack Semke shares selected clips of conversations from the Reimagine Collective. Featured speakers include Ben Bogie, Jesse Hunt, Michael Ingui, Ed May, and Emily Mottram. 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.com.

    1 hr
  3. 280: Scaling Passive House in Massachusetts with Nick Nigro

    MAR 17

    280: Scaling Passive House in Massachusetts with Nick Nigro

    In this episode of The Passive House Podcast, Zack Semke chats with Nick Nigro of Leggat McCall about the Bunker Hill Housing Redevelopment in Charlestown, Boston, a phased replacement of 42 aging WWII-era public housing buildings into 2,699 mixed-income units. Nick explains how the team committed to Passive House from day one and is using a repeatable “kit of parts”—precast lateral-load-bearing cores, prefabricated load-bearing exterior panels, and CLT floor systems—to improve speed, reduce temporary work, and lower both carbon and cost through iteration across 15 buildings. He describes early modeling, enclosure mockup testing, and construction-sequencing innovations like using the permanent elevator as a hoist.  https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/critical-mass-scaling-passive-house-at-bunker-hillhttps://www.lmp.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.

    1h 1m
  4. 279: Beyond Aesthetics: Kia Weatherspoon on Design Equity

    MAR 10

    279: Beyond Aesthetics: Kia Weatherspoon on Design Equity

    In this episode of The Passive House Podcast, Mary James chats with Kia Weatherspoon, founder of Determined by Design. Weatherspoon describes how experiences visiting her brother in prison and creating privacy during Air Force deployments shaped her belief that spaces must be felt, not just seen. She explains her mission-driven focus on affordable housing and a design process rooted in ancestry, legacy, and identity, translating community narratives into specific material and layout decisions. The discussion emphasizes bringing interiors into the integrated design team early, pushing for healthier materials amid cost and pricing-transparency challenges, and streamlining specifications to maintain budgets. The hosts reflect on how interior environments affect wellbeing and project outcomes. https://www.determinedbydesign.com/portfolio/station-u-o/ https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/leading-with-humanity-passive-interior-design

    42 min
  5. 278: Exploring Insulation and Overheating Risks with Tavis Creswell-Wells

    MAR 3

    278: Exploring Insulation and Overheating Risks with Tavis Creswell-Wells

    In this episode of The Passive House Podcast, host Matthew Cutler interviews New Zealand building scientist and sustainability specialist Tavis Creswell-Wells of Ecolution about overheating risk, building performance, and lessons from working in the UK. Tavis describes his path from architecture to building science, early research with BRANZ on the Building Energy End Use Study, and later experience in London with large energy modeling and rating systems including BREEAM, WELL, and Part L. He argues New Zealand’s H1 code overemphasizes insulation and lacks requirements to address overheating, while Part L includes lighting, hot water, mechanical systems, and checks at design and completion. The conversation covers glazing, shading, natural ventilation limitations, PHPP overheating constraints, and using TM59 for zoned overheating analysis, and previews the Reimagine Buildings Multifamily online conference. https://ecolutionsbs.com/ecolution 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.

    48 min
  6. 277: Transforming Multifamily Housing: Lessons from Cycle Architecture + Planning

    FEB 25

    277: Transforming Multifamily Housing: Lessons from Cycle Architecture + Planning

    In this episode of The Passive House Podcast, Jay Fox speaks with Tony Daniels and Caitlin Matusewicz of Cycle Architecture + Planning about their backgrounds in high-performance design and the firm’s focus on scalable multifamily deep energy retrofits, resilience, and Passive House. The conversation covers why retrofits are harder than new construction and how Cycle aims to scale by starting with repeatable retrofit solutions. They discuss panelized overcladding and modular mechanical strategies, NYSERDA’s role via incentives and innovation programs, and broader barriers such as contracting and insurance models that enforce siloing. https://www.c-ap.net/ 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.

    1h 10m
  7. 276: Edie Dillman and Karen Ramsey on Fort Collins' Designed to 2030

    FEB 17

    276: Edie Dillman and Karen Ramsey on Fort Collins' Designed to 2030

    In this episode of The Passive House Podcast Jay Fox interviews Edie Dillman (co-founder and CEO of B.Public Prefab) and Karen Ramsey (founder and sustainability strategist at Building Wellness) about Fort Collins, Colorado’s Design to 2030 pilot program. They describe B.Public’s panelized, Passive House–standard prefab shell system launched in 2019 and Ramsey’s consulting work supporting Passive House projects, including rebuild efforts after the Marshall Fire and work tied to the Los Angeles fire rebuild. The conversation centers on Fort Collins’ plan to provide affordable, permit-ready, high-performance home plan sets tailored to local climate and code, with community outreach to determine needed housing types and builder training on panelization and key Passive House techniques. Sears Homes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears_Modern_Homes https://www.bpublicprefab.com/https://www.buildingwellnessllc.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.

    1 hr
  8. 275: Sustainable Practices in New York City with Shefali Sanghvi and Heather McKinstry

    FEB 13

    275: Sustainable Practices in New York City with Shefali Sanghvi and Heather McKinstry

    In this episode of The Passive House Podcast, co-host Jay Fox interviews Heather McKinstry and Shefali Sanghvi of Dattner Architects about their work focusing on Passive House projects, primarily affordable housing in New York City. The discussion delves into Dattner Architects' commitment to civic work, including multifamily housing, transportation, and healthcare projects. They emphasize the benefits of Passive House standards in dense urban environments, particularly in improving indoor air quality and reducing energy consumption. The conversation also touches on overcoming misconceptions about costs, the importance of third-party certification, and the educational needs of both clients and residents. The episode concludes with recommendations for developers interested in pursuing affordable Passive House projects, including tapping into state and local resources and ensuring expertise within the project team. https://www.dattner.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.

    1h 8m
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4.8
out of 5
31 Ratings

About

Interviews with the leaders, practitioners, and change-makers in the global Passive House movement. A production of Passive House Accelerator.

Information

  • Creator
    Matthew Cutler-Welsh, Zack Semke, Mary James, and Ilka Cassidy
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    504
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Passive House Accelerator
  • Show Website
    Passive House Podcast

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