Description

Overview: While luxury and affordable housing have found their groove, let’s track down the “missing middle” and the business case for it.

Presentation 1:

The Biogenic Blueprint: Leveraging High-Tech DfMA to Deliver Low-Carbon, Foam-Free Passive House

Presented by Steve Hessler, New Energy Works

High-performance prefabrication does not require high-carbon materials. By utilizing DfMA, we can “profit” from the health and carbon-sequestering benefits of biogenic materials while maintaining the schedule and cost predictability of offsite construction. This provides a scalable path for the industry to move beyond operational efficiency toward total carbon neutrality.

Presentation 2:

Passive House & Embodied Carbon

Presented by Louis Koehl, Handel

Let’s gain a better understanding of the life-cycle carbon impact of Passive House design strategies by examining large-scale building examples. Let’s compare the embodied and operational carbon impacts by intentionally addressing key design and construction variables, and explore how the results may inform future action to deliver greater Passive House carbon emissions reductions.

1.25 AIA & 1 PHI CEUs

Moderated by Gabrielle Brainard, SOM

Learning Objectives:

1. Analyze the intersection of DfMA principles and biogenic material assemblies to reduce embodied carbon in Passive House structures.
2. Identify specific detailing strategies for foam-free, panelized roof and wall assemblies that maintain continuous air and thermal control layers.
3. Apply envelope optimization strategies when historic, zoning, or massing constraints limit design flexibility.
4. Explore how the Passive House design and build process can be helped by enhanced manufacturer engagement.