Passive House Podcast

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 o

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 o

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 bu

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 principle

In this fourth episode of The Reimagine Edit (TRE) series of the Passive House Podcast, host Zack Semke shares selected clips of insights from Andrew Michler (fire hardening), Tim Lock (designing beyond Passive House), Ed May (modeling), and Michelle Jacobson and Maria Lomanto (healthy interiors).The Reimagine Edit is a special series of the Passive House Podcast that shares curate

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, we sit down with Chef Chris Galarza—founder of Forward Dining Solutions, co-founder of EcoChef, and author of Understanding the Green Industrial Revolution—to explore the powerful intersection of food, sustainability, and energy efficiency. Chris shares his journey from skeptic to advocate for kitchen electrification, highlighting h

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Mary James and Ilka Cassidy sit down with Michael Marsh, Principal of Sidekick Architecture in Los Angeles. Michael shares his journey into architecture and Passive House design, discusses the challenges of promoting energy efficiency in California’s mild climate, and explores the intersection of fire-resistant construction and sustai

In this third episode of The Reimagine Edit (TRE) series of the Passive House Podcast, host Zack Semke shares selected clips of insights from Skylar Swinford (modeling); Ed May, Lois Arena, and Marine Sanchez (Passive House consulting); and Mary James and Steve Quarles (fire resilience).The Reimagine Edit is a special series of the Passive House Podcast that shares curated insights

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, we chat with Nick Sowden of Sowden Building Solutions about the electrification of homes in Sydney, the shift away from gas, and deep energy retrofits. Nick shares insights on insulation upgrades, solar adoption, and how heritage homes can be transformed into high-performance, energy-efficient spaces. Plus, we discuss Australia’s grow

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast Ilka Cassidy and Mary James sit down for part 2 of their deconstruction roundtable with Megan Stringer of Holmes, Eric Law of Urban Machine, and Katrina Lund & Imani Hamilton of Ramboll.In Part 2 of our series, we dive deeper into the role of structural engineering in deconstruction and material reuse. They discuss overcoming industr