It’s easy enough to say that doing Passive House construction is simply the diligent and disciplined execution of established building science principles. But the reality of doing Passive House for affordable housing is more nuanced than one might expect. In this presentation, Sharon and Marty will share what we have learned, how our approach to Passive House construction has developed, and how seemingly small issues can have a significant impact…
The building industry is conducting two parallel conversations—Passive House and fire hardening, using different vocabularies to describe a fundamentally shared ethos. This talk argues that airtight envelopes, sealed penetrations, and continuous insulation architects have long detailed for Passive House performance are simultaneously accomplishing the work of fire hardening. Drawing on a retrofit underway in Pacific Palisades during the January 2025 fires and on new-construction prototypes developed for Altadena rebuilds, Marcos…
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Passive House California , December 9, 2025 -
Have you ever encountered confusion when discussing PassivHaus? Or is it Passive House? And what about Passive Solar – what does that have to do with it? What does a German Standard have to do with building in California? Let’s look back in history at the ideas and case studies that influenced the creation of the first Passive House standard. Considering the American and Canadian context, we’ll untangle trends and…
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Passive House California , November 18, 2025 -
"Fire-Wise Property Hardening: Life Safety, Insurance, and Passive Building Design" Description Wildfire risk in the built environment is rapidly increasing, bringing serious implications for life safety, property protection, insurance availability, and modern building standards. Architects, designers, and building professionals can’t afford to wing it—evidence-based strategies are essential for reducing vulnerability at both the building and community scale. Learn how to spot and shut down critical ignition pathways. Understand how Predicted Fire…
Joubert Homes rebuilt several homes in the Denver, Colorado area following the devastating Marshall Fire that occurred on December 30th, 2021. Working with these clients, Joubert discovered that the recent trauma of losing their homes informed an entirely different way of client interaction, and informed best practices that Joubert has brought to rebuilding efforts in Southern California. Applying the latest tools to create the safest and most resilient homes available,…
