Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie)

Marketing Passivhaus | Bronwyn Barry - Passive House BB Bronwyn Barry is an architect and principal at Passive House BB, as well as co-founder and recently retired Board Chair of the Passive House Network. It was from Bronwyn that I first came across th...

Hear @passivehousebb.bsky.social on the latest Marketing Passivhaus, discussing her passivhaus journey, the difficulties of marketing passivhaus to policy makers (and architects!), how parameters set you free, and more.

Listen to the full episode here => marketingpassivhaus.com/episodes/bro...

he may not like it - but someone needs to tell @mayorofseattle that this is what climate action *actually* looks like

One more spec from the builder of my recent Sacramento PH Plus project:

For an 8” duct we would use a fintech ADC8
www.supplyhouse.com/Fantech-ADC8...

We would wire two of these on both the supply and exhaust ducts to open in unison when the hood is turned on.

Guaranteed your occupants will have comfort issues with the window opener option. Winter evenings are cold, even in California. If you’re in a humid climate, then summer evenings with an open window will also suck.

Product options for this are certainly a perennial problem. Here are a couple of options I’ve spec’d in past projects:
1. Wall exhaust fan FV-08WQ1 panasonic
Damper FV-GKF32S1 panasonic (have the electrician connect it to the hood switch.)
2. www.swegon.com/products-and...

You’d be much better off adding an automated make-up air damper, in line with the kitchen vent hood. Cheaper overall, and better control for make-up air flow direction.

My how British you’ve become!
[a ‘wobble!!’] 😂😂😂

Delighted to be working with @bpublicprefab.com to make beautiful, #SmokeTight, fire resilient homes easy to build in California.

This one is my nod to Gregory Ain - and LA architect whose work and life I have much admired. (More designs coming soon.)

You always know when you’ve found your people.
[Unusually uncrowded day outside ODC, SF.]
cc.@americanfietser

various window shutters on an old building in freiburg

we've known that shades for solar protection go on the outside of the window for *centuries*

building setback about 12-14' from a pedestrian way

multifamily buildings and townhouses with small front yard setbacks on a car-free street

you don't need 20' front yard setbacks for a high quality of life or good neighborhood character

Remember how during an actual pandemic, we couldn’t get these same ash*les to WEAR masks?

Insane that we now need a law to force them to take them off.

Required viewing

Rationalizing Building Codes in California This post is an open letter to California Assembly Members Schulz, Rivas, Haney and Wicks, in response to their recently proposed bill AB 306, which proposes to stop all jurisdictions from filing loca...

YASSSS! People want something to vote FOR, not against. Now let’s do this for everything, starting with improved resiliency for housing (YES on AB 368) and more transparency in where we are heading. (NO on AB 306.)

www.linkedin.com/pulse/ration...

So agree. This framing from @nytimes.com is disingenuous. It does not reflect how this bill only applies to urban infill areas, which allows the unspoilt areas of our state to remain.

Who needs right wing media when we have the NYT?!

This is the ICE we should be funding in the US

We’re fighting cultural mythology. Until we decouple the unspoken definition of the ‘American Dream’ as = 1 single family home + 2 cars, we will continue to fight housing battles on all fronts. We need to reinvent or redefine a completely #NewDream.

Honestly don’t know. I outsource my code compliance modeling. (It’s a permit checkbox.) I use PHPP for design guidance instead.

Important to recognize that this BOE competition by @nyserda.bsky.social was modeled after the Brussels BOE program. NY replicated it after Tour of Brussels organized by @TomasO’Leary & supported by @PassiveHouseNetwork.

NO. Please see my other post about focusing on manufacturers. [Besides, where has the track record of Dems messaging been particularly effective??? Cough #CuomoFail]

We should be doing this for all electric HVAC equipment. The fact that I can still walk into any appliance showroom in Cali and still buy a gas stove, a gas water heater and a gas furnace is a big #fail of our decarb movement to target manufacturers. 2/2

There are innovative policy moves that result in BIG product transformation. In Canada, BC Govt spent ~$CA400K on competitive subsidies to update window profiles to PH certified levels. 5 BC window companies received ~$40k for technical support. I now import windows from BC for my Cali projects. 1/2

That’s why you target MANUFACTURERS. (If nobody makes gas appliances anymore, these laws are moot.)
Job done. ✅

NO. Please simply ensure gas appliances and equipment are no longer available to purchase!!!! Much better use of our collective time and $$$.

THINK UPSTREAM. Cut off the supply at the source.

If policy simply banned the sale of gas appliances, heavily incentivized installer trainings, & accelerated product innovation in heat pumps, the end user choice becomes a non-discussion.
Let’s stop wasting money on cute end user rebates, events & social messaging and focus efforts upstream? 2/2

Agree. But the policy keeps spitting out cute incentive programs designed for end users. All mech.equip have relatively short lifespans (20-25yrs max, if you’re lucky.) If we simply focus on providing seriously great electric products + efficient installers, the end users will electrify. 1/2

Given the enormity of the task, it baffles me batty that the decarb movement remains hyper focused on the end user. It’s much easier to shift the upstream HVAC industry: manufacturers and installers. We should be accelerating much better HVAC products first, then installer training.

Word. I’ve been kid-sitting in Roseville this week. I’ve driven more in five days than I usually do all year… the place is EXPLODING with housing, but the transit is non-existent and the ‘bike lanes’ positively murderous.

Now need Xanax.

Or shadows on outdoor bars, or shadows on tomatoes… [Because SF is globally renown as a sunny city, amiright? ;]~

When did America ever believe politically appointed judges could remain impartial or credible??? #Fail