On this episode of the Passive House Podcast join Michael Ingui as he chats with the NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence Round Five Award winners. From groundbreaking Passive House projects in Manhattan, Buffalo, and the South Bronx to deep retrofits and adaptive reuse in Brooklyn and beyond, we hear from architects, developers, and engineers driving high-performance, low-carbon buildings across New York State. With a focus on community impact, design excellence, and climate resilience, this episode captures a pivotal moment in the evolution of sustainable architecture.

Buildings of Excellence Website: https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Multifamily-Buildings-of-Excellence/

Project featured in interview excerpt #1 with Curtis + Ginsberg Architects: Kissena House

https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Multifamily-Buildings-of-Excellence/Winners/Kissena-House

Project featured in interview excerpt #2 with Forward Development and Line 42 Architecture: 1707 Hertel Ave – buffalo

https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Multifamily-Buildings-of-Excellence/Winners/1707-Hertel-Ave

Project featured in interview excerpt #3 with Alloy Development and Thornton Tomasetti: 475 State Street

https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Multifamily-Buildings-of-Excellence/Winners/475-State-Street

Project featured in interview excerpt #4 with Curtis + Ginsberg Architects: Seneca West 110th Street

https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Multifamily-Buildings-of-Excellence/Winners/Seneca-West-110th-Street

Project featured in interview excerpt #5 with Curtis + Ginsberg Architects: 77 William Street

https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Multifamily-Buildings-of-Excellence/Winners/77-William-Street

Project featured in interview excerpt #6 with Ettinger Engineering Associates: Powerhouse Apartments

https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Multifamily-Buildings-of-Excellence/Winners/Powerhouse-Apartments

Project featured in interview excerpt #7 with ZH Architects: Building 10 Bio-Based Passive House

https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Multifamily-Buildings-of-Excellence/Winners/Building-10-Bio-based-Passive-House

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, hosts Mary James and Ilka Cassidy sit down with Kristina Held, principal and founder of Held Architecture. Kristina shares her fascinating path through architectural education in Serbia, Germany, and the U.S., and how that global experience shaped her approach to Passive House. From humidity challenges in the Carolinas to adaptive reuse and detailing with precision, Kristina offers deep insight into designing for performance, comfort, and climate resilience.

https://www.heldarch.com/

In this episode of The Passive House Podcast, Mary James sits down with Parlin Meyer, Managing Principal of BrightBuilt Home, and Chris Lee, Head of Design & Development at Backyard ADUs, for a deep dive into the growing world of accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Together, they explore how prefabrication, modular construction, and progressive policy shifts are reshaping the housing landscape in the Northeast and beyond. From multigenerational living to zoning reforms and cost challenges, Parlin and Chris share insights from the front lines of ADU design and delivery—what’s working, what’s not, and where this crucial housing type is headed.

https://www.brightbuilthome.com/

https://backyardadus.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, Jay Fox and Mary James talk with Lisette Wong and Jack Esterson of Think! Architecture & Design to explore the award-winning Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Plaza project. Learn how this project blends community heritage with Passive House sustainability in Harlem. Lisette and Jack share their journey to Passive House, the project’s innovative design features—including advanced HVAC, daylighting with large operable skylights, green roofs, and PV systems—and the deep community impact of creating year-round space for market vendors and residents alike.

https://www.think-arc.com/

Reimagine Buildings '25 https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/events/reimagine-buildings-25

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 eighth episode of The Reimagine Edit (TRE) series of the Passive House Podcast, host Zack Semke shares selected clips of insights from Ed May (bldgtyp), Nakita Reed (Quinn Evans), Tessa Bradley (Artisans Group), Bev Craig (MassCEC), Mike Steffen (Walsh Construction), Lisa White (Co-Executive Director of Phius), and Jonsara Ruth and Allison Mears (leaders of Healthy Materials Lab).

Quotes:

Jonsara Ruth:
"If everybody knows a little bit more, we actually have the ability to steer things in the right direction."

Alison Mears:
"We have to be hopeful. We have to be vigilant. And we have to use our practice for good."

Ed May:
"These things are really hard to disentangle... they work together as a whole system."

Nakita Reed:
"We’re on the same team, but here’s what we’re trying to go forward."

Tessa Bradley:
"You're making the rules of your own game."

Bev Craig:
"The more educated and experienced they were, the lower the premium was."

Mike Steffen:
"We're doing it to create room in the budgets… to pull the better buildings off."

Lisa White:
"We’re trying to be… a shield and a sword against climate change."

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

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast Mary James and Jay Fox chat with Sarah Lewis, Research and Policy Director at the Passivhaus Trust. They explore Scotland’s groundbreaking push toward mandatory Passive House standards for new buildings. Sarah dives into the motivations behind the proposed legislation, lessons from Germany and Brussels, and the vital role of embodied carbon. She also explores the practical implications—from fuel poverty and ventilation standards to supply chain readiness and the challenge of scaling EnerPHit retrofits. With clarity and passion, Sarah unpacks how policy can drive meaningful change in the built environment.

https://www.passivhaustrust.org.uk/

Reimagine Buildings '25 https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/events/reimagine-buildings-25

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, Matthew Cutler-Welsh talks with Sharon Robinson of Smart Living Spaces. Sharon shares her journey from standard design work to advocating for high-performance, affordable housing. She talks about how rethinking client communication, redefining “standard plans,” and focusing on building science fundamentals like heat recovery, passive design, and smart construction systems can shift the industry.

https://www.smartlivingspaces.nz/

Reimagine Buildings '25 https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/events/reimagine-buildings-25

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 Architect Nat Madson and structural engineer Lauren Piepho of HGA join us to talk about Barry Mills Hall and the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies—Bowdoin College’s first mass timber buildings and the first of their kind in Maine. They share the story behind the design and construction, from early ideas sparked by the college’s pine-filled campus and carbon neutrality goals, to navigating mass timber systems, embodied carbon, and the buildings’ architectural dialogue with campus history.

Barry Mills Hall and the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies: https://hga.com/projects/bowdoin-college-barry-mills-hall-and-center-for-arctic-studies/
Bowdoin College’s case study of the project: https://www.bowdoin.edu/news/2020/pdf/furthering-mass-timber-construction---hga---consigli---bowdoin-college-22.pdf

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.