Passive House 2026 Speakers & Moderators
Robb Aldirch is a Principal Mechanical Engineer in Steven Winter Associates’ Connecticut office. Robb focuses on building energy systems: researching new technologies, monitoring performance of systems, and working with stakeholders across the country to create better, healthier, more efficient buildings. Since 2010, his focus has shifted more and more towards heat pump technologies and electrification of residential buildings.
Robb is presenting Heat Pump Water Heaters in Apartments: Challenges & Solutions in the Mechanical Control session on Thursday, June 4th at 4:15pm.
Lois Arena is Director of the High Performance Building Solutions team at Steven Winter Associates, Inc., possesses over 30 years experience in the building science field. She holds both US and international Passive House consultant certifications and is currently consulting on some of the largest and most difficult Passive House projects in the world. She has co-authored and presented training programs about energy efficient building practices to professionals in all sectors of the building industry and is regularly invited to present at conferences and private firms around the world to discuss the benefits of and roadblocks to PH adoption.
Lois is moderating the Deep Multifamily session on Friday, June 5th at 9:00am.
Bruce Becker is President of Becker + Becker, an integrated sustainable architecture and development firm in Westport, Connecticut. Bruce designs buildings that have a transformative social and environmental value. His work includes historic rehabilitations and the creations of mixed-income communities. Most recently, Bruce completed the certified historic rehabilitation of the Pirelli building in New Haven, originally designed by Marcel Breuer, into Hotel Marcel – a 165-room boutique hotel that uses no fossil fuels and is the first Passive House certified hotel in the United States.
Bruce is presenting Welcome to Hotel Marcel & Passive House 2026 in the Opening Plenary on Thursday, June 4th at 1:00pm and in The Business Case session at 4:15pm.
Anne Barrett is a senior critic at the Yale School of Architecture and a founding principal of Aanda Architects, an award-winning studio that collaborates with individuals and organizations to shape spaces for civic, community, and family life. Aanda has been recognized with the AIA New York New Practices award, the Architect’s Newspaper best of practice award, and the AIA Philadelphia Emerging Architect Prize, with work featured in the New York Times, The New Yorker, Architectural Record, Log, Wallpaper, Dwell, and New York magazine. As a Senior Critic at the Yale School of Architecture, she coordinates graduate and undergraduate studios in architecture and urban studies.
Anne is moderating in the Home Security session on Thursday, June 4th at 2:30pm.
Bronwyn Barry is a San Francisco-based architect and principal at Passive House BB. Her company exclusively designs residential projects that meet international Passive House standards. She is a co-founder of Passive House California (PHCA) and the Passive House Network (PHN), where she continues to volunteer as Policy
Director.
Bronwyn is moderating the Standard Relations session on Friday, June 5th at 1:00pm.
Matthew Bowers served six years as a Naval Nuclear Engineer during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. This foundation in complex systems informs his deep expertise in passive design and modeling, through which he manages projects across all typologies ranging from 5,000 to 1.5 million square feet. A recognized authority in the field, he is a BEMP, Passive House Certifier, and published author who frequently serves as a college lecturer and instructor on high-performance building science.
Matt is presenting The Living Spreadsheet: Operationalizing PHPP as a Day-One Digital Twin for Equitable Performance in the Pushing Forward session on Friday, June 5th at 9:00am.
Gabrielle Brainard is an architect specializing in the design of high-performance enclosures for new and existing buildings. She is skilled in the application of building science principles to create comfortable, durable, and energy-efficient buildings. Gabrielle is an Associate Principal at Skidmore Owings & Merrill in New York. She teaches at the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, and is a trainer for The Passive House Network. She is co-author of Passive House Retrofit Details, a book of case studies forthcoming from Routledge in November, 2026.
Gabrielle is moderating the More Optimization session on Friday, June 5th at 10:45am.
Carlos Cardoso is a technical specialist in the world of architecture, with more than 30 years of experience in the management and execution of construction projects. Carlos’ focus on construction administration stems from a lifelong passion for understanding how things are built, which he first developed as a child through exposure to his family’s construction and real estate business in Brazil, Portugal, and the US. Before the era of “green” design, Carlos witnessed building practices in South America and Europe that represent sustainability at its simplest: creating buildings that are durable, maintainable, and can stand the test of time.
Carlos is moderating the Journey of Improvement session on Friday, June 5th at 1:00pm.
Beth Campbell, Education Program Director at Passive House Massachusetts, brings over 20 years of hands-on experience in residential passive building construction. Beth’s background as a high-performance builder gives her a uniquely grounded understanding of real-world project challenges. She has a proven track record of delivering innovative net-zero and passive single-family and “missing middle” residential projects. Beth has focused on improving panelized construction methods at Unity Homes/Bensonwood. Beth is a Certified Passive House Tradesperson, an instructor for the Phius Certified Passive House Builder course, and the Chair of Passive House Rhode Island.
Beth is presenting Massive Learnings from Massachusetts: Practical Takeaways from 40+ Passive House Practitioners in the Lessons Learned session on Thursday, June 4th at 2:30pm.
Vanya Chan joined the Passive House Institute’s certification team in 2023. With over 20 years of architectural experience, her passion for energy-efficient design started with sustainable custom homes in Ontario. After earning her Certified Passive House Designer credential in 2017, she subsequently focused on Passive House certified projects in Germany. Now, as an accredited
certifier, she specializes in building certification and project consultancy, especially for multi-zoned projects with indoor pools. She is dedicated to advancing sustainable architecture through the Passive House Standard.
Vanya is speaking in the Opening Plenary on Thursday, June 4th at 1:00pm..
Leo Cheng is a former NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) engineer who has worked on robotic missions to Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and beyond. After losing his beautiful Altadena home in the Eaton fire, he decided to rebuild his home to withstand future wildland fires and other extreme weather events. Leo is currently studying to become a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC) and a Certified Passive House Tradesperson (CPHT), with hopes of a second career as a building science professional. A firm believer in the Altadena community, Leo currently serves as the Secretary of the Altadena Fire Safe Council, and co-founded the ResilientHAUS group along with Jaime Rodriguez.
Leo is presenting Resilience Rising from the Ashes: How a Diverse, Grass-Roots Community in Altadena is Rebuilding Passive Homes after the Los Angeles Fire in the Community Built session on June 5th at 9:00am.
Elias Dagher has over 30 years of diverse engineering design, planning, and management experience in the fields of Electro-Mechanical systems for buildings, energy efficiency, power generation, transmission, and distribution. Under his leadership, Dagher Engineering, which he founded in 2000, has become an industry leader, and the firm continues to be engaged in the design and construction administration of unique and complicated buildings. Elias sits on the Mechanical Code Committee for the City of New York, chairs the Refrigeration and Solar Energy Sub-Committees and is an advisor on the Building Energy Exchange’s Architect’s Advisory Sub Committees.
Elias is presenting Hydronic Energy Balance For the Win in the Deep Multifamily session on June 5th at 9:00am.
Stuart DeCrew is moderating The Business Case session on June 4th at 4:15pm.
Edie Dillman is the CEO & Co-Founder of B.PUBLIC Prefab, a woman-owned public benefit company based in New Mexico. Her company is a collaborative team of architects, designers, and tradespeople meeting the climate and housing crises head-on. Edie came to this work from her role as communications director at Innovate + Educate, leading the education-to-workforce shift to skills-based hiring by linking community colleges and trade schools with ed-tech and employers. She went from designing platforms, apps, partnerships, and conferences to building jobs and green homes. Her passion for positive disruption comes from a career in small business development, graphic design, and publishing, including Outside Magazine and New Mexico Magazine, plus dedicated service to non-profits.
Edie is presenting Fire Rebuild Off-Site and On-Site in Four Months in the Home Security session on June 4th at 2:30pm.
Michael Doty As Senior Director, Originations, Northeast, Mike Doty has successfully closed numerous C-PACE financed projects throughout the northeast during his 6+ year tenure at Nuveen Green Capital (NGC). Mike has helped raise significant awareness for C- PACE in the commercial real estate space, and has proven instrumental in broadening NGC’s reach in the commercial real estate industry. Prior to joining NGC, Mike spent
seven years in sales at Eversource Energy, Dimplex North America, and Lutron Electronics. Mike is propelled by the desire to use his expertise to help reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment. Mike graduated from Villanova University with a BA in Political Science and Arabic. A Certified Energy Manager and Certified Lighting Efficiency Professional endorsed by ACEEE, Mike is an accomplished energy efficiency specialist and frequent speaker at panels and industry events. Known for his clear communication and depth of knowledge, he was the recipient of the New England Real Estate Journal’s Ones to Watch – Rising Stars Award in 2024. In 2025, Mike and his team’s work on the Tivoli Theatre project in Nashville, Tennessee, helped the venue earn the Better Buildings U.S. Department of Energy Financial Innovation Award. Additionally, Mike helped oversee
the largest C-PACE-financed transaction to date for The Geneva, a landmark office-to-residential conversion in Washington, D.C.
Mike is speaking in The Business Case session on June 4th at 4:15pm.
Caroline Dunn, AIA, CPHD, is a licensed architect at Cairn Collaborative, a design build company based in Morro Bay, California. Through her role at Cairn Collaborative she leads the design phase of energy efficient homes across the Central Coast and Southern California. Based out of Austin, she also serves as the Co-chair of the AIA Austin Resiliency + Climate Response Advocacy committee. BIOBUILD is her design and consulting practice focused on natural materials and low impact design.
Caroline is presenting Adobe or Not to Be: Rebuilding with Vernacular Materials in a Modern World in the Material Thoughts session on Thursday, June 4th at 4:15pm.
Darin Dusan brings hands-on construction experience to his role as Managing Director, California for Joubert Homes. At Joubert Homes, Darin works to advance awareness and adoption of the Passive House standard, helping make the Passive House case to homebuyers, policymakers, and the broader industry. He has become an active voice in the Passive House community, speaking at industry events, leading webinars, and engaging directly with homeowners navigating rebuilding decisions.
Darin is presenting From Ashes to Airtight: Passive House as Post-Fire Resilience Strategy in the Home Security session on Thursday, June 4th at 2:30pm.
Szabi Fekete is presenting Humidity and Ventilation in the Keep it Fresh session on Friday, June 5th at 9:00am.
Jimena Fernandez is a Research Analyst at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), in the Office of Building & Transportation Decarbonization. She works on the GreenerGov initiative, helping state agencies meet water, energy, and waste reduction targets, decarbonize state buildings, organize Steering Committee meetings and an award ceremony, and ensure robust data reporting and transparency. Previously, she worked at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Switzerland, implementing climate change program of work in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.
She holds a master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of Geneva and a degree in International Relations from Uruguay. She is also a legal representative in Uruguay.
Jimena is moderating the State of Change session on Friday, June 5th at 10:45am.
Mike Fowler, CPHC, is an associate principal and sustainability integration leader in the Seattle office of Mithun. He is a seasoned specialist in energy efficient and sustainable design for complex projects. His skills span policy, energy codes, occupant health, and decarbonization while integrating key issues like wildfire smoke protection, passive survivability during extreme heat events, and resilience during power disruptions.
Mike is presenting From Airtight to All-In: When Performance Enables Purpose in the Care for Kids session on Friday, June 5th at 10:45am.
Alexander Gard-Murray, Executive Director at Passive House Massachusetts, is a building performance advocate, researcher, and educator. He was previously the Director of the Greenhouse Institute, where he was a leader in a national movement to accelerate space heating electrification. Before that he taught and researched energy policy in the Government Department at Harvard and the Climate Solutions Lab at Brown. Alexander holds a Doctorate in Politics and a Master’s in Politics Research from Oxford, and a Bachelor’s in Politics from Brown.
Alex will be presenting Massive Learnings from Massachusetts: Practical Takeaways from 40+ Passive House Practitioners in the Lessons Learned session on Thursday, June 4th at 2:30pm and the State of Change session on Friday, June 5th at 10:45am.
Mark Ginsberg, FAIA, LEED AP, is a partner at Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLP. His firm’s work is community- and policy-focused, including developments comprising over 30,000 units of housing, many of which are designated as low-income and affordable. Mark has a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a past President of the AIA New York Chapter. Currently, Mark serves as Vice Chair of the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development and President of the Citizens Housing and Planning Council. He’s on the Board of Trustees of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH) and is a Commissioner of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Mark is presenting Going the Last Mile: Bridging Passive House to Net Zero in Dense Urban Environments in the Deep Multifamily session on Friday, June 5th at 9:00am.
Jessica Grove-Smith is joint managing director and senior scientist of the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt, Germany. A physicist by training, her areas of expertise include highly energy efficient building solutions to the Passive House Standard around the world under different climate conditions, interrelations between efficiency and renewable energies (PER method) and application of Passive House concept to indoor swimming pools. Jessica frequently participates in conferences and conducts training internationally.
Jessica is presenting Latest Developments from the Passive House Institute in the Passive House Value session on Friday, June 5th at 2:45pm.
Anthony Harrington is a registered architect and co-founder of pHdesign, where he leads the firm’s multi-family and mixed-use portfolio. Teaching is a thread that runs throughout his career — he has long been committed to training the next generation of architects, with design studios at both NYIT and NJIT, where he continues as an adjunct instructor. Over the past year he has taken on a new dimension as architect-developer, co-leading pHdesign’s first development project in upstate New York with partner Hilary Padget. He is a Certified Passive House Designer and a member of New York and New Jersey Passive House.
Anthony is presenting Filling the Missing Middle: Architect-Led Development for Attainable Passive House in the Middle Matters session on Friday, June 5th at 1:00pm.
Steve Hessler is the Building Systems Specialist for New Energy Works, one of the industry’s leading eco-conscious, high-craft timber frame companies with a focus on sustainability and high-performance structures. Steve is a Certified Passive House Consultant, project manager in sustainable residential construction, and DfMA designer for heavy and mass timber buildings, high-performance enclosures, and cross-functional collaborations. Steve brings together technical insight, design-phase collaboration, and prefabrication strategies to build and deliver resilient, lyrical buildings.
Steve is presenting The Biogenic Blueprint: Leveraging High-Tech DfMA to Deliver Low-Carbon, Foam-Free Passive House in the More Optimization session on Friday, June 5th at 10:45am.
Mike Horgan is a PHI Certified Passive House Consultant, zero-net-energy and Passivhaus design-builder, and licensed general contractor in Massachusetts and California. Mike founded Horgan Design-Build, Inc. on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and now runs Cairn Collaborative, LLC, a design-build firm in San Luis Obispo, California. Mike provides education for builders and architects with In Balance Green Consulting as a residential construction specialist. He is on the advisory board of the Tri-County Regional Energy Network on the Central Coast and was named San Luis Obispo’s Climate Champion of 2019 by the SLO Climate Coalition.
Mike is presenting Adobe or Not to Be: Rebuilding with Vernacular Materials in a Modern World in the Material Thoughts session on Thursday, June 4th at 4:15pm.
Nick Jones is a Senior Efficiency Consultant with Eversource. His main role with the company is serving as the program lead for the energy efficiency group’s residential new construction program in both Connecticut & Massachusetts. Nick has spent the bulk of his career working with builders, developers, design teams, trade associations, and state and federal organizations to advance high performance building practices and technologies. Nick holds credentials as a Certified Energy Manager (CEM), a LEED accredited professional, and a GPRO certified professional. Nick has served full terms on the board of directors for the Connecticut Green
Building Council (CTGBC), Northeast Home Energy Rating Systems (NEHERS) Alliance, and the Connecticut Passive House Alliance (CTPH). Nick also holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree from Eastern Connecticut State University in Sustainable Energy Studies, and a Master of Science (MS) Degree in Global Sustainability from Central Connecticut State University.
Nick is moderating the Middle Matters session on Friday, June 5th at 1:00pm.
Bria Josephs is moderating the Pride of Place session on Friday, June 5th at 1:00pm.
Floris Keverling Buisman is a renowned expert in building science, materials, and high performance envelopes. He’s been involved in NYC Building Code Committees, and numerous Certified Passive House projects in NY and VT. He blends academic knowledge with practical experience as a LEED AP, Registered Architect in the Netherlands, and City College of New York adjunct professor. Floris holds a dual Master’s degree in Architecture and Real Estate Development from Delft Univ. of Technology. His unwavering commitment to find synergy between architecture and sustainability is what drives his effort to transform the building industry toward a low-carbon future.
Floris is presenting Mass Timber Renovation in NYC—The Data 1 Year Later in the Material Thoughts session on Thursday, June 4th at 4:15pm.
Zachary Koch has worked in the Commercial HVAC industry for the past fifteen years and spent the last twelve years with Mitsubishi Electric Cooling and Heating as a Regional Sales Manager. His main focus is working with consulting engineers and architects on the design and application of ductless splits and VRF products in the Western Mass, Connecticut and Upstate NY markets. He graduated from Clarkson University in 2011 with Bachelors of Science in Engineering and Management, as well as graduating from Clarkson University with a Masters of Science in Engineering Management in 2015.
Zachary is presenting Air to Water Heat Pumps for Commercial Passive House Projects in the Mechanical Mastery session on Thursday, June 4th at 2:30pm.
Louis Koehl is an Associate Principal and Director of Sustainable Design at Handel Architects, where he is responsible for advancing the firm’s mission of leadership toward a regenerative future for the built world. Louis’ projects at Handel Architects include several of the world’s largest passive house buildings including the fully affordable Sendero Verde in East Harlem, an all-electric dormitory for the University of Toronto, and Winthrop Center in Boston, as well as multiple LEED Platinum projects.
Louis is presenting The Criteria or the Carbon: Assessing the Impact of Passive House on Life Cycle Carbon in the More Optimization session on Friday, June 5th at 10:45am.
David Komet is a real estate developer and a Certified Passive House Consultant based in San Antonio, Texas. He focuses on applying Passive House principles to real world development, especially in hot humid climates, where comfort, durability, and energy performance must work together. His work connects building physics, low carbon design, and financial performance to help clients create healthier, more resilient buildings.
David is presenting in The Business Case session on Thursday, June 4th at 4:15pm.
George Kontaroudis is a Registered Architect, LEED Accredited Professional, and a Certified Passive House Designer. He is currently a Principal Architect at LK Collaborative, a practice that expands Passive House into affordable housing. George serves as the Vice-Chair of New York Passive House. In 2020, he became a Climate Reality Leader in Al Gore’s organization, the Climate Reality Project. He teaches design and sustainability at the New School, and sustainability courses at Pratt Institute and the University of Oklahoma.
George is presenting Retrofitting to a Passive House on a Greek Island: The Inspiration, Construction Challenges, and Delight of Living in it in the Pride of Place session on Friday, June 5th at 1:00pm.
Dori Lam is the Program Director for passivhausMAINE, working to develop and manage phME’s programming and annual conferences, engage and grow membership, and expand educational programming for the workforce, policy makers and homeowners. She is passionate about sustainability and intersectionality and enjoys bringing that passion to her work.
Dori is moderating the Lessons Learned session on Thursday, June 4th at 2:30pm.
Ken Levenson practiced architecture for 20 years in New York City. Starting in 2010, with a focus on the climate emergency, Ken became a founding board member of New York Passive House, the National Passive House Alliance, and the North American Passive House Network. In 2011, Ken co-founded 475 High Performance Building Supply with the mission of transforming the North American construction industry. Ken has worked on dozens of Passive House projects in various capacities, including architect, consultant, material supplier, trainer, advisor, and advocate. In August 2020, Ken became Executive Director of The Passive House Network. Ken has a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Pratt Institute in New York City.
Ken is Moderating Passive House Value in the Closing Plenary on Friday, June 5th.
Sarah Lewis is an architect, author, and Co-Director at the UK Passivhaus Trust. A long-time advocate for Passivhaus in the UK, her project experience includes London’s first Passivhaus home and the award-winning Carrowbreck Meadow development. She is the author of PHPP Illustrated, a Passivhaus trainer with Coaction, and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the International Passivhaus Conference.
Sarah is presenting Delivering Quality at Scale: How Construction-Phase Excellence Unlocks the Full Value of Passive House in the Lessons Learned session on Thursday, June 4th at 2:30pm.
Timothy Lock specializes in the management and direction of large-scale institutional projects and spearheads the practice’s overall approach to building ecology and climate action. Timothy believes firmly in the importance of architectural design in imagining and producing transformational, ecological, and positive societal outcomes, and is committed to maintaining the highest quality of process and integrity of ecological architectural design, practice, and implementation. Timothy sits on the AIA National Committee On The Environment Leadership Group and the Maine AIA Board of Directors, and is a Certified Passive House Designer.
Timothy is presenting Who Decides What Counts? Life, Value, and Passive House in the Passive House Value session on Friday, June 5th at 2:45pm.
Darren Macri is the co-founder and Co-CEO of Wythe Windows and a certified Passive House consultant. Builder of New Jersey’s first certified Passive House. He is proud to be currently serving as Board Chair of the Passive House Network. He is also a respected educator, having taught classes and presented at numerous conferences across North America on Passive House principles and advanced window science. His expertise and vision are at the core of Wythe Windows, where automated production lines deliver high-quality, affordable tilt-turn windows with industry-leading turnaround times. The company’s commitment to efficiency and accessibility makes its products ideal for projects ranging from custom builds to large-scale affordable housing. Wythe Windows ships and services clients coast to coast, providing a new standard in high-performance fenestration. Darren resides in his own certified Passive House in Ramsey, NJ, with his family.
Darren is speaking in the Opening Plenary on Thursday, June 4th at 1:00pm.
Dylan Martello is a Senior Building Systems Consultant at Steven Winter Associates. Dylan has experience working on high-performance projects ranges from Passive House consulting on large scale multifamily, commercial, institutional projects; net zero consulting on mid-rise multifamily; and envelope commissioning on mid-sized commercial projects.
Dylan is moderating the Mechanical Mastery session on Thursday, June 4th at 2:30pm.
Meredith McDaniel received her Master of Architecture from Yale University and her Bachelor of Art from Pomona College. Starting her career as the director of a prominent Los Angeles-based gallery, Meredith immersed herself in the contemporary art world before transitioning into the field of design. Meredith sets the creative direction for the practice and brings her unique vision to each project. Her pursuit of authenticity and conceptual rigor, along with a love for the visual arts and storytelling, invigorate MAAM’s designs with meaning and resonance. As partner at MAAM, she has led residential projects with a discerning eye for detail and proportion. Meredith is a registered architect in the State of California.
Meredith is presenting From Ashes to Airtight: Passive House as Post-Fire Resilience Strategy in the Home Security session on Thursday, June 4th at 2:30pm.
Katelyn Meehan is a managing director with Wells Fargo Community Lending & Investment (CLI), based in New York City. Through this work she partners with New York-based clients on their nationwide affordable housing transactions, while collaborating closely with New York City and New York State agencies for many of the region’s most complex developments. As part of her broader platform leadership, Katelyn also helps coordinate CLI’s affordable housing construction lending activities with Wells Fargo’s Sustainability Insights team, ensuring that the firm’s lending strategies align with evolving energy efficiency, decarbonization, and sustainability priorities across multifamily housing.
Katelyn is speaking in the Opening Plenary on Thursday, June 4th at 1:00pm.
Buck Moorhead‘s portfolio includes residential, commercial, and institutional retrofits, as well as new construction. His foremost goal is to design projects that are integrated closely within the context of the systems in which they exist—social and economic—while understanding the priorities of system elements. Buck is the architect, as well as principal in the development team for The Catskill Project, a Passive House single-family housing development in upstate NY. He is the current board chair of New York Passive House and a board member of City as Living Laboratory and Damascus Citizens for Sustainability.
Buck is presenting Rural Workforce Housing on a Shoestring in the Step-by-Step session on Friday, June 5th at 10:45am.
Crystal Ng, NOMA, AIA, LEED AP, CPHC, champions innovative design solutions that help achieve more sustainable and socially equitable projects. She leads C+GA’s office-wide sustainability efforts, including the firm’s commitment to meeting the AIA 2030 Challenge and Material Pledge towards the design of carbon-neutral buildings. Crystal serves her community in efforts such as the Neighborhoods Now initiative launched by the Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute. She currently serves as the NESEA BuildingEnergy NYC Conference Chair and is a New York Passive House Board Member, where she also chairs the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Working Group.
Crystal is presenting Going the Last Mile: Bridging Passive House to Net Zero in Dense Urban Environments in the Deep Multifamily session on Friday, June 5th at 9:00am.
Tomás O’Leary is Managing Director of MosArt, a multi-disciplinary design, consulting and education firm specialising in Passive House since 2002. MosArt is currently active on over 15,000 Passive House residential units across the globe, as well as many complex and challenging non-domestic projects. MosArt has trained over 5,000 Certified Passive House Designers and Tradespersons across Europe and North America and regularly delivers bespoke training for large developers and contractors.
Tomás will be presenting Passive House Performance: 1,100 Sensors in Social Housing Scheme in the High-Density Results session on Thursday, June 4th at 2:30pm.
Paul Ormond is an expert on building decarbonization working at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, the state energy office, helping Massachusetts achieve its legal decarbonization mandates. Paul also teaches building decarbonization at Harvard University Extension School. Paul is a Massachusetts licensed Professional Engineer and a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (BS, Civil Engineering) and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (MS, Civil Engineering).
Paul is presenting A Generational Value Opportunity: How Mass Adoption of Passive House can Deliver Grid-Level Savings in the State of Change session on Friday, June 5th at 10:45am.
Hilary Padget is a registered architect and co-founder of pHdesign, a New York-based practice specializing in Passive House and sustainable design. Her work spans historic retrofits to ground-up builds, with a focus on making high-performance design accessible across a broad range of clients and project types. Over the past year she has expanded into architect-developer work, co-leading pHdesign’s first development project in upstate New York alongside partner Anthony Harrington. Hilary is actively engaged in advancing the Passive House standard as a founding member and external coordinator of New Jersey Passive House and as co-developer and instructor of a Passive House course at NJIT.
Hilary is presenting Filling the Missing Middle: Architect-Led Development for Attainable Passive House in the Middle Matters session on Friday, June 5th at 1:00pm.
Andrew Peel is a renowned expert in the field of Passive House buildings. He is the founder and principal of Peel Passive House Consulting, a consulting firm that specializes in supporting the design and construction of high-performance, low carbon buildings. Andrew has over 19 years of experience in the field and is an accredited Passive House certifier, consultant, and trainer.
Andrew is presenting Innovative HVAC Solution for Passive House Multifamily Buildings in the Mechanical Control session on Thursday, June 4th at 4:15pm; moderating Keep It Fresh Friday at 9:00am and presenting in Care for Kids Firday at 10:45am.
Brandon Pietras (AIA, RA NY/NJ/MA, LFA) is the Lead of Decarbonization and Building Health at Bernheimer Architecture. For the past 8 years, Brandon has contributed his passion for environmentally conscious design to several projects at BA including 97-10 Sutphin Boulevard, the first PHI-certified project at BA, where he has served as project manager since 2019. Brandon leads the office’s partnership with NYSERDA’s Buildings of Excellence program. Their first report, on the project River Commons, was published in 2025. Outside of BA, Brandon is a Partner at the lighting design practice thirds Studio.
Brandon is presenting Housing at the Intersection of Equity and Performance in the Journey of Improvement session on Friday, June 5th at 1:00pm.
Karen Ramsey, founder of Building Wellness, is a sustainability strategist and cost consultant based in Fort Collins, Colorado. With over 20 years of experience in the commercial and residential construction industry, Karen works at the intersection of high-performance building science and real-world affordability. Karen is also President-Elect of the Colorado Green Building Guild (CGBG), where she actively contributes to growing the state’s green building community through education, advocacy, and professional development.
Karen is presenting From Policy to Practice: Scaling Passive House Through Municipal Partnerships, Workforce Training, and Attainable Housing in the Community Built session on Friday, June 5th at 9:00am.
Narasimha Rao is a Professor of Energy Systems at the Yale School of the Environment. His research examines technology adoption barriers, wellbeing impacts, and economic inequality in clean energy transitions around the world. He is currently a lead author for a chapter on Sustainable Development in the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC’s) Seventh Assessment Report. He received his PhD from Stanford University in Environment and Resources, Masters from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Electrical Engineering and Technology Policy.
Narasimha is moderating the Mechanical Control session on Thursday, June 4th at 4:15pm.
Eric Richards
is a Regional Sales Manager with Systemair North America, where he works closely with consulting engineers, architects, contractors, and building owners to develop high-performance ventilation and air handling solutions for commercial and institutional buildings. He holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering with concentrations in Thermofluids and Integrated Engineering Systems from UMass Lowell; where he also obtained his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Physics.
Eric is presenting Indoor Air Quality for Passive Houses in the Keep it Fresh session on Friday, June 5th at 9:00am.
Jaime Rodriguez, Jr is a product leader with decades of experience developing consumer software and hardware across global markets. His career includes roles at Canon, Netscape, AOL, Yahoo!, several video game companies, and multiple startups that later went public. After moving from Silicon Valley (San Francisco) to Altadena with his teenage daughter, Jaime became a Altagether Block Captain following the Eaton Canyon Fire and now serves on the Eaton Fire Collaborative LTRG and the Altadena Fire Safe Council Board. He is a passionate Passive House evangelist; founding the RelientHAUS community group.
Jaime is presenting Resilience Rising from the Ashes: How a Diverse, Grass-Roots Community in Altadena is Rebuilding Passive Homes after the Los Angeles Fire in the Community Built session on Friday, June 5th at 9:00am.
Andrew Ruff is the Research Director at GOA Architecture, where he focuses on developing strategies and practices for decarbonizing the built environment through the use of biogenic materials and assemblies, and addressing the attendant regional material flows, fabrication methodologies, and construction practices for incorporating bio-based components into urban development. Andrew has held academic appointments at Yale University, Wesleyan University, and Georgia Tech.
Andrew is moderating the Material Thoughts session on Thursday, June 4th at 4:15pm.
William Russell joined BKSK in 2015, was promoted to Associate in 2019, and became a Principal in 2025. Will has contributed to several of BKSK’s most ambitious hospitality, commercial, and multi-family residential projects. His deep expertise in sustainable design is especially valuable on projects requiring innovative, performance-driven strategies. Beyond his sustainability credentials, Will brings thoughtful design thinking and a holistic approach to every project. Driven by a curiosity for both the art and science of the built environment, Will earned a degree in Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design and is a certified Passive House Designer.
Will is presenting Demystifying Passive House Design in the Refining Residences session on Thursday, June 4th at 4:15pm.
Keith Saechao provides energy modeling support to evaluate proposed improvements to California’s Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, helping to verify projected energy savings and reductions in utility costs. His prior experience in energy efficiency evaluation, including the design and construction of structural components and electrical assemblies, as well as project planning and technical documentation, supports Frontier Energy’s building codes development and analysis efforts.
Keith is presenting A Modeling Crosswalk: Recognizing Passive House Performance within California Title 24 and Beyond in the Standard Relations session on Friday, June 5th at 1:00pm.
Cheryl Saldanha leads SGH’s Building Science and Passive House practice and has extensive experience in the design, evaluation, and commissioning of high-performance building enclosure systems, including facades, roofing, and below-grade waterproofing. Cheryl works closely with project teams to identify and mitigate risks related to air, water, and moisture infiltration through detailed design review, performance analysis, and field verification. Cheryl is a member of the NYC Commercial Energy Code Technical Advisory Committee and the AIA NY Building Science Committee, and is on the Board of Directors for NY Passive House.
Cheryl is presenting Sticking to Passive House: Higher Performing Better Buildings Every Time in the Journey of Improvement session on Friday, June 5th at 1:00pm.
Cecil Scheib NYU’s Chief Sustainability Officer, leading the university-wide effort to build a healthier and more sustainable future. Cecil formerly served as Chief Program Officer at Urban Green Council, as the Managing Director of the Building Resiliency Task Force for the City of New York, as Director of Energy and Sustainability at NYU from 2007 to 2012, and co-founded Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage. He earned a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University. He was a member of the LEED v5 Existing Buildings Consensus Committee, serves on the Board of Directors of Urban Green Council, and is a New York State licensed professional engineer, Certified Energy Manager, and LEED Accredited Professional.
Cecil is presenting Decarbonization at Rubin Hall: The Design, Construction, and Results of a Large Urban EnerPHit Retrofit in the High-Density Results session on Thursday, June 4th at 2:30pm.
Nidhi Shah is a Sustainability Lead and Architect specializing in decarbonization, retrofit, and high-performance building physics. Her work focuses on Passive House design, fabric-first strategies, and delivering healthy, low-energy buildings through integrated technical and deep stakeholder engagement.
Nidhi is presenting Decarbonizing Public School Districts Through a Phased EnerPHit Approach: A Case Study in London in the Step-by-Step session on Friday, June 5th at 10:45am.
Sara Smiley Smith serves as the Assistant Provost for Planetary Solutions at Yale University. In this role, she works to implement strategic initiatives, expand interdisciplinary collaboration, build capacity and engage stakeholders both within and beyond Yale’s campus. Prior to this role, Sara served as the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Research, and Sustainability at the Yale School of the Environment (YSE).
Sara is moderating the Care for Kids session on Friday, June 5th at 10:45am.
Jonah Stanford drives the engineering and deployment of B.PUBLIC’s proprietary panelized building system, which is fundamentally optimized for streamlined, off-site manufacturing and rapid on-site assembly. He directs the R&D of the B.PUBLIC Prefab panel system, enabling fabrication in a controlled workshop environment, implementing LEAN principles to off-site construction. Jonah designed the first Passive House project in the Southwest (Santa Fe, NM, 2010) and was the founder of NEEDBASE, a firm specializing in high-performance custom homes. He is a registered architect, a former licensed contractor, and a graduate of the AKI in the Netherlands. Jonah served as a founding board member for the Passive House Institute U.S.
Jonah is presenting Fire Rebuild Off-Site and On-Site in Four Months in the Home Security session on Thursday, June 4th at 2:30pm.
Oliver Style is an energy consultant, Passivhaus-accredited certifier, and trainer. He holds a Master’s degree in Architecture, Energy and Environment from the University of East London and is the director of Praxis Resilient Buildings, an engineering firm based in Barcelona specializing in the design and consultancy of high performance buildings. He has extensive experience in building energy efficiency, hygrothermal simulation, building physics, and ultra efficient HVAC systems. His work focuses on developing buildings that deliver maximum indoor comfort with minimal energy consumption.
Oliver is presenting Delivering Comfort, Resilience, and Deep Energy Savings in Catalonia’s First All-Electric Passivhaus Certified Care Home in the Refining Residences session on Thursday, June 4th at 4:15pm.
Michael Syracuse AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is a Partner at FXCollaborative. Michael’s work has encompassed some of New York City’s premiere educational and cultural institutions, including New York University, Juilliard School, Columbia University, and the Brooklyn Friends School. In addition to his architectural work, he stays connected to academia through his support of Rensselaer’s Integrated Design Development studio, offering office and project tours, and serving as a guest reviewer to give students insight into the professional practice of architecture.
Michael is presenting Decarbonization at Rubin Hall: The Design, Construction, and Results of a Large Urban EnerPHit Retrofit in the High-Density Results session on Thursday, June 4th at 2:30pm.
Craig Toohey is a business strategy and development leader with 15 years of experience driving growth for innovative companies in the low-carbon wood construction sector. He has presented extensively to architecture offices and at industry conferences across North America on building science, high-performance construction, and prefabrication through his work with market leaders like 475 High Performance Building Supply and Collective Carpentry. Now based in Lyon, France, he brings a unique perspective on European Passive House and prefabrication trends to the North American context.
Craig is presenting Designing the Bottom Line: Why Passive House Architect-Developers are Embracing Prefab and the “Missing Middle” in the Middle Matters session on Friday, June 5th at 1:00pm.
Esther Van Edeen is a Certified Passive House Designer specializing in high-performance multifamily, mixed-use, and residential buildings. Her work spans affordable housing, senior living, institutional residential projects, and campus-scale decarbonization initiatives across North America, with a focus on integrating Passive House principles from early design through construction and certification. A frequent speaker and educator within the Passive House community, Esther focuses on translating complex technical concepts into practical strategies that support successful project delivery and better buildings for the people who use them.
Esther is moderating the Refining Residences session on Thursday, June 4th at 4:15pm.
Eddy Voltaire is moderating the Community Built session on Friday, June 5th at 9:00am.
Adam Watson is a Registered Architect and Senior Director of Preconstruction at L+M Development Partners. Since joining L+M in 2012, Adam has been a part of the project team for many passive house projects, including Sendero Verde in Harlem and Alafia in Brooklyn. He has also been a part of adaptive reuse projects like the Hahnes Department store in Newark and dozens of preservation projects. Adam is a member of the AIA, LEED AP and a Certified Passive House Designer with a BArch from Virginia Tech and MArch from City College of New York.
Adam is presenting Sticking to Passive House: Higher Performing Better Buildings Every Time in the Journey of Improvement session on Friday, June 5th at 1:00pm.
Mike Woolsey is Director of Sustainability at Swegon North America, focused on advancing energy-efficient HVAC solutions and high-performance building design. He brings decades of experience in HVAC business development, key accounts, and system applications, working closely with engineers and building professionals across North America. Mike is a recognized industry leader and active member of ASHRAE (Chair of Passive Building Design Standard 227P), a Certified Passive House Designer, and a WELL Accredited Professional. His expertise spans sustainable HVAC systems across sectors, including healthcare, education, laboratories, and Passive House projects, with deep knowledge of air handling, energy recovery, chilled beams, and indoor air quality solutions.
Mike is speaking in the Opening Plenary on Thursday, June 4th at 1:00pm.
Richard Yancey is the founding CEO of the Building Energy Exchange(BE-Ex), a nonprofit center of excellence accelerating the transition to healthy, energy efficient buildings through education, exhibits, and actionable research. BE-Ex plays a central role in New York’s climate action plans and, as a founding member of the UN International Centre of Excellence for High Performance Buildings, advances high performance buildings globally. Prior to BE-Ex, Richard spent over twenty years as an award-winning architect in Seattle and New York and holds a Master of Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.
Richard is moderating the High-Density Results session on Thursday, June 4th at 2:30pm.
Stas Zakrzewski is a founding principal of ZH Architects, a New York based practice recognized for integrating high-performance building strategies with rigorous contemporary design. Together with co-founder Marianne Hyde, Stas has led the development of numerous high-performance projects that demonstrate how ambitious environmental goals can be paired with clear architectural expression and high-quality living environments. Stas’s work spans residential, institutional, and civic projects. He is currently collaborating with the New York City School Construction Authority on school projects including libraries, multimedia centers, and electrification retrofits, and with the NYC Department of Design and Construction on housing, theater, and library projects.
Stas is presenting No Excuses: Making High-End Homes Passive in the Pride of Place session on Friday, June 5th at 1:00pm.
