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 Passive House 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/