Podcast
Passive House Podcast
Hosted by Matthew Cutler-Welsh, Zack Semke, Mary James, and Ilka Cassidy · EN
Interviews with the leaders, practitioners, and change-makers in the global Passive House movement. A production of Passive House Accelerator.
34episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
290: Decarbonization and Affordable Housing: The New Ecology Approach
1w ago00:55:56Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Passive House Accelerator Podcast, Ilka Cassidy chats with Marty Josten and Ashley Wisse of New Ecology. Marty and Ashley describe the nonprofit’s 26-year mission to preserve and improve affordable housing through sustainability, building performance, health, and resiliency, using a hybrid fee-for-service and grant-funded model. They discuss evolving embodied-carbon requirements, regional market differences, misconceptions about Passive House cost, and innovations like drain water heat recovery, as well as engaging lenders and maintaining focus amid political and funding pressures.https://www.newecology.org/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.
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289: High Design, Low Carbon: A Conversation with Nathan Kipnis
2w ago00:49:01Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Passive House Accelerator podcast, Ilka Cassidy interviews Nathan Kipnis, founder of Kipnis Architecture and Planning in Chicago and Boulder, about his path from early solar architecture influences during the 1973 oil embargo to today’s fact-based, certifiable Passive House practice. Kipnis explains how early rule-of-thumb passive solar design often led to overheating, and how building science and climate-specific approaches improved outcomes. And describes his firm’s “high design and low carbon” approach, evolving client communication from quietly implementing efficiency measures to showcasing performance and resilience through smart home monitoring, batteries, and high-quality envelopes.KAP websiteNHA websiteProject profile for Evanston’s first Passive House in PHIUS’ databaseCrain’s Chicago Business Notable Leader in Sustainability 2025 recognitionThank 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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288: Insights from Wolfgang Feist at the International Passive House Conference
3w ago00:30:44Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Michael Ingui and Ilka Cassidy to share their interview with Dr. Wolfgang Feist from the 35th International Passive House Conference in Essen and discuss where Passive House is headed. Dr. Wolfgang Feist emphasizes focusing on documented, evaluated projects, the importance of integrated component systems. Looking back, he credits early collaboration with Swedish researchers and the push to build real demonstration projects, and he reiterates that the five principles remain unchanged because “physics is right.” 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.
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287: Global Insights on Scaling Passive House
May 1201:00:32Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Passive House Podcast Ilka Cassidy and Michael Ingui, are at the International Passive House Conference in Essen and share rapid-fire interviews focused on scaling Passive House. With questions based on Michael's presentation at the conference focusing on moving Passive House from niche to necessary by reframing it as risk mitigation and engaging adjacent sectors like insurance, real estate, finance, and policy. Interviewees describe scaling through large-volume delivery, education, supportive codes and incentives, and manufacturer-led training.With interviews from:Tomas O'LearyAnn-Marie FallonKen LevensonAlexander Gard-MurrayIn ChoFrancesco NesiGünther JedliczkeEsra AydinogluThank 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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286: Elizabeth and Everett's Straw Bale Passive House Journey
May 500:59:38Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Passive House Podcast, Matthew Cutler - Welsh interviews Elizabeth and Everett Norris from their newly completed Christchurch home. They describe their Port Hills site on Huntsbury Hill, bought after the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, and discuss the area’s microclimate and west–northwest-oriented design. They share challenges including long build times, working largely solo, living on site after a robbery, and more. They detail the key lessons on early builder input, avoiding rushed window orders, daylight implications of eaves, and airtightness detailing.https://www.designmake.co.nz/people.htmlhttps://www.everhomes.co.nz/blank-1About their amazing straw bale Passive House in Christchurch: https://sustainableengineering.co.nz/casestudy/norris-strawbale-passive-house/
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285: Exploring Design and Community with Filmmaker Allie Rood
Apr 2801:04:53Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Passive House Podcast Jay Fox interviews Vermont filmmaker Allie Rood about her documentary Prickly Mountain and My Design Build Life, which traces the design-build architecture movement that began in Warren, Vermont around 1963 and influenced design-build programs nationwide. Rood explains her personal connection through her father’s work in the community, the movement’s roots among Yale architects reacting against the designer/builder class divide, and ideas like Dave Sellers’ “Wild Beam Theory” of improvisational building. She contrasts early sculptural ski houses with a later sustainability-focused generation behind the Dimetrodon co-housing project and discusses Yestermorrow’s emergence as a design-build school. Rud also recounts the film’s 10-year production, funding and grant challenges, finding an editor, shifting to a personal narrative, and current festival distribution and screening plans.https://allieroodfilms.com/Trailer for the film: https://vimeo.com/1125499443?fl=pl&fe=sh Reimagine Buildings: Designing for Survivability: https://events.ringcentral.com/events/reimagine-buildings-survivability/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.
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284: Breaking Down Barriers to High-Performance Buildings with Nidhi Shah
Apr 2100:44:23Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Passive House Podcast, Mary James chats with Nidhi Shah, a certified Passive House designer and member of the Reimagine Buildings Collective. Shah traces her path from early sustainability interests in India to Passive House training in the UK. They dive into her retrofit-focused work with Retrofit Action for Tomorrow (RAFT), emphasizing whole-building approaches over piecemeal measures like external wall insulation or heat pumps. Nidhi describes how funding criteria centered on operational carbon shaped retrofit decisions for cash-strapped public-sector buildings, and why reducing demand and peak heating loads matters alongside electrification and comfort. https://www.retrofitaction.org.uk/s/RAFT-Whole-Life-Carbon-ReportReimagine Buildings: Designing for Survivability: https://events.ringcentral.com/events/reimagine-buildings-survivability/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.
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283: Wunderbar Passive House with Andreas Goetz
Apr 1400:35:02Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Passive House Podcast, Matthew Cutler-Welsh speaks with Andreas Goetz about building the Wunderbar Passive House in Orewa, about 40 minutes north of Auckland. Originally from Germany and motivated by comfort and health, Goetz pursued Passive House despite local challenges, choosing a simple rectangular ICF design with imported European triple-glazed windows and integrated exterior shutters to manage overheating without mechanical cooling. The home uses whole-house ventilation, achieved near 0.6 ACH50 airtightness, has low power bills, and added solar projected to pay back in four years, while also earning Homestar V5.https://wunderbar-passive-house.org/ 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.
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282: BuildingEnergy Boston 2026 Part 2
Apr 800:51:37Tap to summarizeIn 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 recap day 2 of the conference including a keynote by Melissa O’Mara and Kevin Stack, “Unstoppable Inner Resilience and Generational Leadership,” which guided attendees through a meditation connecting to ancestors and future generations, highlighting accountability, leadership, and the “knowing-doing gap” via the Inner Development Goals. Ilka then interviews architect Phil Kaplan about a deep energy retrofit of a mid-century Acorn Deck House involving unexpected conditions, major structural changes, and questions about cost and embodied carbon versus rebuilding. The day’s highlights also include sessions on tools and strategies to balance operational and embodied carbon, evaluate deep versus moderate retrofits, and push manufacturers toward healthier, lower-impact materials.Episode with Rachel White & Michael Hindle: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/podcast/building-energy-boston-with-rachel-white-michael-hindleMeditation that is similar to the one described in the episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-long-time-academy/id1589516917Episode with Melissa O'Mara and Kevin Stack: https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/podcast/180-inner-development-goals-idgs-and-buildings-with-kevin-stack-and-melissa-omara 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.
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281: BuildingEnergy Boston 2026 Part 1
Mar 3101:14:30Tap to summarizeIn 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/50140https://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.
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