The Kathleen Sessions
The Kathleen Sessions
Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau
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Prudence Ferreira – Passive Design, Building Science and Creating Resilient Housing
1 hour 3 minutes Posted Mar 9, 2023 at 11:00 am.
Passive design definition
A climate specific, cost optimized set of building science principles
A logical pathway to Net Zero
What constitutes passive design
Building as assets vs liabilities
Continuous insulation
Avoidance of thermal bridging
Energy recovery ventilation
Air sealing
It comes down to how we design and construct the building
Maintain comfortable temperatures reagardless what is going on outside in terms of extreme temps
Allows our homes to protect and shelter us regardless of what happens to the grid
It’s about paying amazing attention to design and then construction execution
Cost differentials to build with passive design methods
Scale – large projects like multifamily and dorms, drives down the costs and may even not add to the cost at all because of savings in other areas like mechanicals
Passive design certification
Scale and costs further explained
Large scale at a 1% cost premium for passive design, setting up a pathway to net zero buildings.
We have the technology, we have the building science know how to do net zero energy buildings that don’t cost any more than conventional buildigs
Less reliant on heating and cooling needs, thus financial savings once the building is operating
What kinds of energy reductions do we see with passive design and how does that equate to operating cost differentials?
Greatly reduced utility bills due to energy preservation. In a cold climate, the buildings heat themselves
Use and contain the heat thrown off from people, appliances, etc.
Not wasting any useful internal gains
How do energy reductions in passive design compare to conventional construction and other certifications like LEED
PHIUS – Sets passive house standards for North America
Climate specific passive house vs German passive house methods which are one size fits all
Why have we been slower in the United States to adopt this very basic, solid engineering approach?
The politics of energy. Not a left vs right thing, just solid engineering and building design.
Passive design and self reliance
Not dependent on the grid, energy independent
Not a political issue, an engineering issue. Engineering is above politics
Other barriers to passive design
Public misperception is that passive design is aesthetically unattractive. How do we overcome that barrier?
Early adopters, lessons learned.
Trump speech on passive house
Passive house can look like anything you want.
Passive house branding, and the word passive does not connect with people.
‘Resilient’ as a better word than passive?
Passive design as a matter of national security.
The fragility and aging of our grid.
The Department of Defense,  the Army Core of Engineers, Armed Forces
The state of Massachusetts, building code
Once local contractors have experience, things snowball
Train the trades
Once they go passive, they don’t go back
The builder gets to bring back a nobility to the trade.
Builders make a massive difference to the process
That contagious excitement and pride is contagious.
A noble, honorable trade
Experience as a solution
Personal journey
Thornton Tomasetti
Book Recommendation: Transforming Design and Construction
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Show notes
 
Episode 379. Kathleen interviews Prudence Ferreira about the power of design and engineering to solve some of our country’s biggest housing and energy issues. Prudence serves on the PHIUS Board of Directors where she was previously president. She has consulted on over 30 passive design projects across seven different climate zones.
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Host: Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau
Website: https://www.thekathleensessions.com
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TIME STAMPS:
11:45  It’s about paying amazing attention to design and then construction execution
43:15 The Department of Defense,  the Army Core of Engineers, Armed Forces
53:30 Thornton Tomasetti  
58:20 Book Recommendation: Transforming Design and Construction
 
 
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