Passive House Weekly: May 23, 2022

May 23, 2022

Please read on for a selection of Passive House happenings, articles, interviews, and developments. The featured project above is the PHI certified University of Toronto Scarborough Student Residence Hall.

Do you have Passive House news that we should share in a future edition? Email us at: [email protected].

1. Passive House Week in Preview

WED: The Truth About 3D Printed Homes with Belinda Carr

3D printing is currently one of the hottest topics in the construction industry, but media coverage on the technology is often filled with hyperbole, and over-promises. This presentation by Belinda Carr of Carr Builds will take a deep dive into the 3D printed home industry.

Belinda Carr is a Building Science Researcher with a background in architecture and building information modeling (BIM). She runs a YouTube channel where she explores various topics on building science, products and technology. Get the Zoom Link

UPCOMING SUMMIT: Expanding Missing Middle Housing Solutions

At our May 2022 Expanding Missing Middle Housing Solutions Summit, four housing specialists will share their collective experience creating a range of middle density, high efficiency, and Passive House projects in single family and transitional neighborhoods. Take advantage of their expertise in providing more affordable housing options and learn about ways to sidestep the challenges presented in creating high efficiency housing for the “middle.” We will be joined by moderator, Timothy McDonald (Onion Flats), as well as the following presenters: Bryn Davidson (Lanefab), Dylan Lamar (Cultivate, Inc.), Julie Klump (Preservation of Affordable Housing), Liz Hauver (Placetailor). Register now

NOW LIVE: Episode 88 of the Passive House Podcast

Mary James and Ilka Cassidy talk with Caitlin Martusewicz, principal at Cycle Architecture and Planning, about how her early community development experience in rural Ghana led to her wanting to join the firm and the Passive House projects that she has contributed to. They also discuss Cycle’s involvement in NYSERDA’s Building of Excellence and RetrofitNY programs, as well as the exciting prospects that this involvement could herald. Listen here

THIS WEEK: Events In the Passive House Community

Smart Plus Academy
Designer Course (May 23)

Passive House Accelerator LIVE!
The Truth About 3D Printed Homes with Belinda Carr (May 25)

Passive House Canada
Passive House Canada Conference: In the Face of Climate Change (May 25-27)

2. Featured Article of the Week

Six design and engineering teams. Six existing social housing developments. Ten workshops to plot out the deep energy- and carbon-saving retrofits of these typical three- to four-story buildings. These spare points barely convey the exciting progress of the Pembina Institute’s Reframed Lab, a British Columbia-based program aimed at developing replicable retrofit design packages backed by solid information on incremental costs, while fostering a local community of practice. Continue reading

THANK YOU To This Week's Featured Sponsor:

Visit Zola Windows

3. New Videos

Back by popular demand, Sam McAfee of Zola Windows joined us for a special Component Spotlight to discuss the ins and outs of buying quality windows. How do you know you are talking to a company who makes quality windows designed for the future of buildings? Sam provides you with the top 10 ways to *know* you are getting quality windows from a quality company so that your project will provide years of performance and lasting comfort.

View this special launch event for Round 3 of NYSERDA's Buildings of Excellence program. NYSERDA’s $40 million Buildings of Excellence program aims to advance resilient, profitable, beautiful and affordable buildings for all New Yorkers. This announcement also supports Governor Kathy Hochul’s goal to achieve 2 million climate friendly homes by 2030. For more info on the Buildings of Excellence program, visit: https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/multifamily-buildings-of-excellence Applications for Round 3 are due July 14, 2022.

Environmental Charter School (ECS), Pittsburgh, PA set out to make their new urban high school a shining example of how they live their mission. Join speakers Craig Stevenson (AUROS Group) and Jon McCann (Environmental Charter School) as they discuss their approach to addressing some of the greatest issues of our time while teaching future citizens how to think about complex systems and interdependencies that benefit the environment, their community, and each other.

The eighth and final Building Performance Interactive episode focuses on a journey of innovation. Kiss House started with a vision of how Passive House housing could be delivered at scale if the optimal marriage of design, performance and delivery was achieved. As they prepare to deliver the first Kiss House projects, they join the BPI co-hosts to discuss the myriad challenges they’ve faced, the problems they’re solving and the innovation along the way. Joining from Kiss House are: Carli Jordan (MD), Mike Jacob (Head of Product and Innovation), and Richard Green (Head of Manufacturing).

4. Upcoming Conferences

Passive House Canada Conference: In the Face of Climate Change (May 25-27)
Learn how Passive House design and technology addresses our need for climate resilience, improving our homes and offices now and into the future. This conference will offer the latest insights, case studies, and best practices, spanning the spectrum of knowledge for architects, engineers, building owners, government policymakers and planners, financial decision-makers, and property managers. Register

The Passive House Network: 2022 Passive House For All (June 10 & 17)
Efficiency | Equity | Electrification | Embodied Carbon. We must transform our built environment with integrated solutions. We know the basic ingredients: efficiency, equity, electrification, and embodied carbon. We have the know-how today. So let’s dive into the synergies and the specifics. Let’s get aggressive, grab all of these tools, and take radical holistic action to build a healthy prosperous future for all people before it’s too late. If you agree, join us in Boston and online. Learn more

Electri-fiction to Electrification: Overcoming Barriers (June 15)
At Urban Green Council's 2017 conference, the group noted that the path to electrification was cluttered with uncertainty, raising more questions than answers. In the past five years, we’ve gotten some answers (like when the right time to start electrifying is), seen dramatic shifts in policy, and made notable progress at the systems and grid level. But we haven’t seen wide-scale market adoption yet. This year’s conference tackles the remaining barriers holding us back, lessons learned from the few that have made the leap and how we can accelerate progress now. Use code ELECTRIFY for $10 off at registration. Learn more

Retrofit Canada Conference (June 23-24)
Following the great success of our first Retrofit Canada Conference in 2021, the first and only retrofit conference in Canada is coming back, stronger than ever this coming June 2022. The second annual Retrofit Canada Conference will focus on: Recent laws and regulations, inancing large scale retrofit projects, market trends and new technologies, project updates and investment opportunities, partnership models and sustainability. High-level decision makers from the government, key municipalities and authorities, project owners, facilities managers, financiers, sustainability experts, technology providers and consultants will all gather in one room to discuss all the above and more.

NetZeroBuild Summit (June 28 & 29)
NetZeroBuild Summit 2022 brings together the net-zero community in the Midwest to discuss challenges, opportunities, innovations, policy changes and other developments regarding net-zero design, energy, construction, materials and building operations. Learn more

PhiusCon 2022: Emissions Down, Power Up! (Oct 25-28)
PhiusCon is coming home to Chicago Oct. 25-28 at the historic Palmer House. Last year, Phius set its sights on expansion with its motto “Emissions Down, Scale Up!” and despite the obstacles presented by COVID, shared that vision with a sold-out crowd in Tarrytown, New York. PhiusCon 2021 created a wave of momentum, and Phius is looking to carry that into PhiusCon 2022 as it builds for the future. And you can’t talk about building for the future without mentioning electrification, so Phius decided to put a charge into this year’s motto: “Emissions Down, Power Up!” Learn more