kevin @ think | design | consult

Optimism for the day. aeon.co/essays/in-so...

Annex businesses tell Ford to back off Bloor bike lanes Stores in the Annex say the Bloor bike lanes have been a big boost to business. As Michelle Mackey reports, the neighborhood's BIA wants the province to back off its new bill that could see the lanes ...

WATCH: Seriously, if you’re following ANY bike-lane debate, you HAVE TO WATCH this news story. You actually can’t make this up. Ford claims without evidence that bike-lanes are bad for small business, and THE ACTUAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION obliterates him with data.

Safe bike-lanes mean business.

Highway filled with car congestion

If you widen that highway

you won’t reduce emissions

or congestion.

What you WILL do

is spend a lot of public money

to induce even more cars

emitting even more GHGs and pollution

in the same or worse congestion

with people still demanding that you widen the highway.

Period.

corridor zoning is bad policy!

when @michaeljanz.bsky.social convinced me to come check out Edmonton & give talk that became my book 'building for people' - i was floored they allowed 5-6 story buildings off polluted arterials, and 6-8 plexes everywhere. edmonton was leading the US and canada.

Innovative Low Energy Architecture Projects by Fifteen 10 Explore Fifteen 10 Architects' innovative projects, focusing on sustainable design and energy-efficient homes in progress. Discover more!

Here is what we've been up to over the last year and a bit!

fifteen10architects.com/2026/02/06/w...

#Architecture #Passivhaus #Retrofit #Selfbuild #AECB #Carbonlite #Enerphit

📺Stretford Passivhaus retrofit TV makeover

Deep retrofit of a modest Manchester semi-detached home to the Passivhaus retrofit standard features in Guy Martin's 'House without bills', which will air on Monday 9 February 2026 at 9pm on C4.

https://passivhaustrust.org.uk/news/detail/?nId=1507

Allies and Morrison completes Passivhaus student housing in Cambridge Allies and Morrison completes Passivhaus student housing in Cambridge

The eight terraces of Passivhaus-certified townhouses provide rooms for 245 students, and are set in a shared garden.

📣 Upcoming webinar from Passive House California
Learn how the 2025 California Energy Code (Title 24) aligns with #PassiveHouse design and performance.

🗓 Feb 10, 2026 | ⏰ 1:30–3:30 pm
👉 passivehousecal.org/events/2025-california-energy-code-passive-house/

Pretty happy with the final result!

Soziale #Gerechtigkeit und hohe #Energieeffizienz:

Wie #Energiearmut vermieden wird zeigt eine #Sanierung in #Athen.

#28intPHC in #Essen:

65+ Vorträge
2 Jubiläumsfeiern (35 Jahre #Passivhaus & 30 Jahre Passivhaus Institut)
4 Exkursionen
etc.

ow.ly/tVfA50XPUPk

#Klimaschutz

Meantime a new NHL hockey rink is going up in Calgary.
It could be an extremely energy efficient facility, built to #PassiveHouse standards, and completely powered by solar, wind and batteries produced on site & in Alberta.
The NHL needs to get behind #climateaction
No pond hockey in a heated world.

🚀 The first pilot course of the EU-funded #AchieVEZEB project kicked off in Stuttgart in January with strong interest and highly motivated participants.

Focused on #EnergyEfficiency and the #PassiveHouse concept for new builds and retrofits. 👏

🔗 https://ow.ly/m2YA50Y9hRU

Beyond Residential: Designing Non-residential Buildings to Passive House Standards, February 19, 12 pm ET - Green Building Events - Rate It Green This presentation offers a deep dive into the application of Passive House principles in commercial building design, highlighting the unique opportunities and...

Beyond Residential: Designing Non-residential #Buildings to #PassiveHouse Standards, February 19, 12 pm ET buff.ly/dtRiO7u @EmuBldgScience #commercial #HVAC #residential #heating #energyefficiency #energy #indoorairquality #heating #ventilation #health #greenbuilding

We’re excited to share the relaunch of the Passive House Institute’s official website, a refreshed, user-friendly hub for everything related to #PassiveHouse and #EnergyEfficient buildings! 🥳

Check it out! https://passivehouse.com/en/home/

Triple-glazed, mechanically ventilated, passivhaus standard council homes in London - fabulous!

Anyone here in an Energy Local Club - buying energy direct from a local generator (wind, solar, hydro)? #EnergyLocal

HPHI has submitted a landmark proposal to develop Greece’s first certified #PassiveHouse social housing building! 🇬🇷🏡 Tackling energy poverty through a nearly zero-energy retrofit, with free technical support and transparent performance monitoring.

Read more: https://ow.ly/1HLO50Y9oTp

A graphic promoting the latest episode of the Marketing Passivhaus podcast. There is a headshot of the guest, Naomi Beal, and one of the host, James E. Turner, set against blue sky and white clouds.

@passivhausmaine.bsky.social opened a new space in Freeport. Find out how and why on the #Marketing #Passivhaus podcast.

PLUS, passivhausMaine's Forum 13 happens this week, Feb 12-14, which I highly recommend, having been last year!

Listen here => marketingpassivhaus.com/episodes/nao...

Our January newsletter is full of fun. #prefabpanels #offsiteconstruction #passivehouse #prefabulous

Allies and Morrison completes Passivhaus student housing in Cambridge Allies and Morrison completes Passivhaus student housing in Cambridge

The eight terraces of Passivhaus-certified townhouses provide rooms for 245 students, and are set in a shared garden.

💡Feeling inspired by Guy Martin's #HouseWithoutBills?

Head over to our #Passivhaus #Retrofit web page for brilliant next step advice for homeowners, construction professionals & policymakers:

https://www.passivhaustrust.org.uk/passivhaus_awards/passivhaus-retrofit/

#GuyMartin

MVHR (Mechanical Ventilaton with Heat Recovery) did get a mention but sadly not nearly long enough. They aren't just a tool for managing high humidity but also very good for #AirQuality.

4/7

Really enjoyed that! Bringing good building practices more into the public realm, with a very relatable house: a 1930's semi at the core of the programme being retrofitted to a PassiveHouse standard (#EnerPHit I assume, I forget if that was mentioned).

1/7

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World’s largest Passivhaus school delivers £433k energy saving and cuts energy use in half in first year

#News #Construction #PremierConstruction

https://premierconstructionnews.com/2026/01/26/worlds-largest-passivhaus-school-delivers-433k-energy-saving-and-cuts-energy-use-in-half-in-first-year/

Wilkinsburg residence 1st in state to earn EnerPHit certification from Passive House Institute

https://triblive.com/local/wilkinsburg-residence-1st-in-state-to-earn-enerphit-certification-from-passive-house-institute/

A graphic promoting the latest episode of the Marketing Passivhaus podcast. There is a headshot of the guest, Lindsey Love, and one of the host, James E. Turner, set against blue sky and white clouds.

Here's Lindsey Love talking about #strawbale and #bio-basedMaterials + #PassiveHouse on the #Marketing #Passivhaus #podcast, plus sharing her vision for a curriculum-based affordable housing project she's working toward.

Listen now => marketingpassivhaus.com/episodes/lin...

Salvage! “Crunch and dump” demolition has to be made illegal, everywhere.

👇🏻🤓👇🏻

"Whilst the Warm Home Plan is an important step towards decarbonising our homes, heating alone does not deliver warm, comfortable homes that are affordable to run. "

Read our response to the Warm Homes Plan: https://www.passivhaustrust.org.uk/news/detail/?nId=1529

AECB UK Green Building Council

Passive House Canada Conference By Design! Transform the Built Environment. Coming to Victoria, BC, June 2024.

I just registered for the Passive House Canada conference, June 17-19th, in the new #PassiveHouse dormitory at the University of Victoria. See you there!

conference.passivehousecanada.com