This week on the Passive House Podcast we welcome Ben Walsham, the founder and director of ARKATA, based in Brunswick, Victoria. Trained in architecture and now a registered NatHERS Accredited Energy Efficiency Assessor, Ben empowers architects—as well as homeowners, builders, and developers—across Australia to create homes that are not only energy‑efficient, but comfortable, healthy, and resilient 

With a background in residential architecture and on-site building, Ben witnessed first-hand the pressing need for better performance in homes. This inspired his transition into sustainability consulting and ultimately to launching ARKATA in 2023.

ARKATA’s mission reflects Ben's philosophy: “Uncover the power of sustainability” through a human‑centered lens, where efficiency measures translate into tangible comfort and wellbeing for occupants.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-walsham-104188148/

https://linktr.ee/arkata.au 

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Ilka Cassidy and Kristof Irwin are at PhiusCon 2025, highlighting key sessions and interviews with industry experts. The conference explored a variety of themes including performance, purpose, and the power of community in the Passive House movement. Key takeaways included insights on air tightness, ventilation, innovative financing models, and the challenges and successes in scaling up Passive House projects. 

https://www.phius.org/phiuscon

Thank you to Ikon Windows for sponsoring this episode of the Passive House Podcast!  https://www.ikonwindows.com/

 Thanks to  Jennie Eber, Tom Bassett-Dilley, Kai Fast, Sayo Okada,  Beth Campbell, Beverly Craig, Kazumasa Tsushima, Daiji Sato, and Alexander Gard-Murray for joining us!

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 Matthew Crucifix, Director of Development at Stonewater, they discusses the organization's efforts in providing affordable and sustainable housing in the UK. Crucifix outlines Stonewater's expansive reach, managing around 40,000 homes, and their current focus on retrofitting existing homes to improve energy efficiency. Highlighting the financial challenges and solutions, including government grants and their in-house subsidy pot. He also delves into the specifics of their Passive House projects, like Cherry Grove, emphasizing the goal of building homes that are affordable, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly. The conversation concludes with insights into the future of housing in the UK, stressing the importance of sustainable construction methods and energy resilience.

https://www.stonewater.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.

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Mary James and Ilka Cassidy interview Tony Lisanti, managing director at Integral Building and Design and QA/QC Manager for Phius. The discussion delves into various rating systems for high performance and passive houses, focusing on the HERS rating method, its standards, and applications. Tony explains his extensive experience in the energy and engineering fields and how he provides certification services for numerous federal and state programs. He further details the process of becoming a HERS and Phius rater, emphasizing the importance of early engagement in the project, thorough QA protocols, and consistent communication between designers and raters. The episode also highlights case studies, including a modular senior housing project and a panelized straw system, illustrating the complexities and benefits of these high-performance building standards.

https://www.phius.org/

https://integralbuilding.com/

https://collective.reimaginebuildings.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 the eleventh episode of The Reimagine Edit host Zack Semke strings together some pearls of wisdom from leading Passive House experts across three continents and include Martín Comas, Ed Ettinger, Lindsey Love, Joe Lstiburek, Tomas O’Leary, and Shefali Sanghvi. Each gem is selected from a conversation that took place inside the Reimagine Buildings Collective, either during one of the Reimagine Tuesday interviews or a Friday AMA. Speakers explore how to encourage clients to pursue Passive House certification, how to better condition and dehumidify hot and moist climates, ways to improve kitchen ventilation, some tips for using natural materials, and more!

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, join Jay Fox and Mary James as they dive deep into sustainable building systems with Greta Tjeltveit, a Building Science Consultant at 4EA Building Science and Board President of Passive House Northwest. Greta shares her inspiring journey from researching post-Katrina rebuilding efforts in high school to her current role, discussing her experiences and insights into the evolving fields of green building, building science, and Passive House design. They also explore topics such as the importance of early testing in Passive House projects, challenges of ventilation systems in the Pacific Northwest, and the impacts of wildfire smoke on indoor air quality. Don't miss this engaging discussion on the latest trends and innovations in sustainable architecture and Passive House certification.

 Join Greta this Wednesday:  https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/events/101-balanced-ventialtion?date=2025-10-01

https://collective.reimaginebuildings.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, join Ilka and Jay for their in-depth discussion with the members of the Reimagine Buildings Collective's innovative Summer Labs. The episode showcases the experiences and insights of various industry professionals who participated in these member-led groups. Featuring Paul Heron, Randall Anway, Lauren Shadid, Valerie Amor, Sandra Lester, Fabrizio Maso, Buck Moorehead, Lloyd Alter, Mark Attard, Rainger Pinney, and Mike Fowler.

https://collective.reimaginebuildings.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, Mary James interviews Az Rashid Head of Design at Barratt London. Az shares details about Barratt London's focus on large-scale, mixed-use, residential-led regeneration projects within London, and their collaboration with Transport for London (TfL) to develop properties near transit lines. He discusses his journey from architecture to his current role and explains Barratt London's recent commitment to building all new homes to Passive House standards, including the anticipated benefits for residents and the environment. The episode covers their methodical approach to training, research, and development to achieve Passive House certification, as well as their plans to begin delivering Passive House homes by 2029.

https://www.barratthomes.co.uk/new-homes/london/

Reimagine Building Massive Impact (Sept 19): https://events.ringcentral.com/events/reimagine-buildings-massive-passive/registration

https://ukphc.org.uk/

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 Accelerator Podcast, Ilka Cassidy and Mary James are joined by sustainability experts Amy Cornelius, Paul Thompson, and Joe Messier as they delve into a groundbreaking retrofit project in Philadelphia. This six-part demonstration series, hosted by Green Building United, examines a project aligning with the new Phius REVIVE standard and the Living Building Challenge core principles. Listen as they discuss the integration of these standards, the challenges of retrofitting row homes, and the educational impact of their collaborative series. Discover key takeaways, innovative approaches to sustainability, and the surprising synergies between these certification programs. Tune in for an insightful exploration of how theory meets practice in sustainable building retrofits.

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, co-hosts Jay Fox and Mary James speak with Gaelen McKee, Founder of Brooklyn Solar Works. They dive in to the company's origins, current projects, including work with co-ops and commercial buildings, and their plans for expanding into ground-mounted solar installations. Galen also touches on the impacts of tariffs, permits for residential batteries, and the future of whole-home electrification in New York City.

https://brooklynsolarworks.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.