Designs for Justice & Equality

Our Thoughts on MLK Day, 2025

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we reflect on the good that a community of like-minded individuals can do to bring about positive, lasting justice. When Dr. King shared his dream for equality on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in August of 1963, employers were still allowed to discriminate due to race, sex, religion, or nationality. Public water fountains were still segregated. Literacy tests were used to prevent Black Americans from voting in elections. Much of this discrimination was legally outlawed by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The progress made by the Civil Rights movement was monumental, and it could not have happened without widespread support. Though we name this day for one man’s courage and leadership, this day also belongs to a movement that saw error in injustice and would not stop until those injustices were corrected.

You are probably thinking: What does this have to do with Passive House?

On days like today, it is important to reflect on the progress we have made. But it is even more imperative that we acknowledge gaps in equality that have yet to be closed. Today, we still observe racial disparities across wealth, home ownership, education, health outcomes, and employment, among other categories. More than that, as an organization dedicated to building a better future through the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change, we acknowledge that environmental injustice is deeply bound with racial and economic inequalities. We know that the people who have contributed the least to Climate Change are also the most affected by it, and that climate change worsens existing inequalities in our society, many of which are shaped by racism. This leaves Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and other people of color disproportionately dealing with the health and economic impacts of climate change.

It’s a series of problems that can feel overwhelming to look at, while our ideals of justice and equality might seem out of reach, or difficult to enact. We might say, leave the laws to the lawmakers. We might think, this problem is too big for us to solve. We might feel that the work towards a more just society is outside of the scope of our day-to-day life, that we are too busy, too tired, or that we don’t know where to start. Here at The Passive House Network, we suggest starting with your buildings and designs.

We’ve written before about how Passive House can keep you healthy by reducing allergens, mold, and poor indoor air quality, which can worsen asthma and increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and other serious illnesses. Unfortunately, many of these diseases disproportionately harm racial and ethnic minorities. History tells us why: due to decades of residential segregation and redlining, Black, Hispanic, and Asian populations tend to live where there is greater exposure to air pollution. (You can see what this looks like in your area using the EPA’s Environmental Justice Map).

The problem has an obvious solution–we need cleaner air, and since the sources of air pollution are often the sources of greenhouse gas emissions, we need cleaner energy. While Passive House reduces instances of indoor air pollution through airtight building, its true power lies in creating efficient, electrified homes that reduce our need for carbon-based fuels and the resulting dangerous air pollution. With better building codes and the Passive House building standard, we can ensure a healthier environment for everyone and take a huge step forward in addressing health and housing inequalities that have plagued the country for decades.

Our work towards justice and equality is a group project. Not everyone can march on Washington as Dr. King did when he shared his dream for a more just world, but we must all support his ideals through the actions we take in our daily lives. If you’re an architect, designer, engineer, builder, or policymaker, we urge you to continue your work towards justice with Passive House. Together, we can create a better built environment and a brighter future, no matter the obstacles we face. We hope you’ll join us.