kevin @ think | design | consult
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thinkph.bsky.social
kevin @ think | design | consult
@thinkph.bsky.social
Passiv Haus - Passive House
Urban and small town life
Building science
Politics as it serves better communities.
Building for the real world.
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
here's version w/ (4) 6 story 'el'-shaped PABs

300 homes

half of them are 2-4 bedrooms (status quo development in seattle right now has that number at <6%)

max FAR: 2.8 (less than half what would normally see on a 6 story site)

lot coverage: 47%

look at how massive those courtyards are: 🌳🌳🌳🌳
October 30, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
thread on how single stair enables not just more family-sized homes - but higher quality and much more livable:

bsky.app/profile/holz...
October 29, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
just going to keep hammering this home - if US politicians actually want more 3- and 4-bedroom homes in multifamily housing... single stair is how you do it.

the shaded units here are all 3-bedroom homes. good luck doing this in a double loaded corridor.

note they are all dual aspect as well
October 29, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
you know how i keep saying single stair buildings are workhorse of walkable urbanism the world over?

here are 174 homes on a 2.2 acre block in seattle.

(16) 4-5 story single stair buildings.

what do you think FAR is?
what about lot coverage?
unit distribution?
October 29, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
your Sunday AM ☕️ and urbanism thread.

want family sized homes that don't suck?
want density and room for trees and open space
want walkable neighborhoods?

gonna need midrise single stair buildings

🧵
you know how i keep saying single stair buildings are workhorse of walkable urbanism the world over?

here are 174 homes on a 2.2 acre block in seattle.

(16) 4-5 story single stair buildings.

what do you think FAR is?
what about lot coverage?
unit distribution?
November 2, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
“Since [Paris Mayor @annehidalgo.bsky.social took] office, Paris has planted over 200K trees with a pledge to add 170K more by 2026. Urban forests are being created near landmarks like the Hôtel de Ville, Gare de Lyon, & Opéra Garnier, with plans to cover 50% of the city with planted areas by 2030.“
Anne Hidalgo: Transforming Paris into a Green Metropolis for a Sustainable Future
Pic: Ms Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris (Source: ChatGPT)
medium.com
November 1, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
free energy retrofits for social housing let's gooo

cc @volts.wtf
🇬🇷🏆 Big win for our Greek affiliate, the Hellenic Passive House Institute, & Passivistas!
The Tavros Project has won a New European Bauhaus Prize 2025, honouring its free energy retrofit of social housing — cutting bills to zero and generating surplus power.

👉https://ow.ly/ToR050XiSCa
📸EUCommission
November 1, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
"Is the cycling industry doing enough to promote sustainability and prioritize climate action?"

Short answer: No.

It won't come as a surprise to our followers that we're big fans of buying something once and using/repairing it for as long as possible. road.cc/content/news...
“Let’s stop glorifying the thinnest and lightest, and start championing longevity”: Is the cycling industry doing enough on climate action?
There’s a growing gulf between how the bike industry views its sustainability efforts and what consumers now expect, a new report assessing climate action within cycling has found
road.cc
November 2, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
When it rains a lot I go to the St. George Rainway to watch water going in and out of things.

So, here’s a thread for those of you similarly enthralled…

@greenestcity.bsky.social @cityofvancouver.bsky.social
November 1, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
Your Comeback Guide to all the Anti-Cycling Arguments You’ll Hear This Year. Did we miss any?
momentummag.com/your-comebac...
Your Comeback Guide to all the Anti-Cycling Arguments You’ll Hear This Year
Anti-bike arguments aren’t just frustrating—they’re outdated, inaccurate, and often repeated without a shred of evidence.
momentummag.com
November 2, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
In our latest Speakers’ Corner video, three managing directors of the #PassiveHouseInstitute share key insights from the 27th Int'l PH Conference. Their takeaway: we have the tools to cut emissions in the building sector —now it’s time to implement them at scale!🌍
Watch now👉https://ow.ly/KGwY50Xkupy
November 2, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Yep. It was called The Saskatchewan House, built in 1977, did just that.
If we aren’t reducing the need for heating and cooling, then we need the entire roof to be covered, yes, just like this one from 58 years later…
November 2, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
btw - in der wiesen sued? it's pretty different from anything we build in the US - and it actual has two stairs. nearly a passivhaus. good unit mix. family sized homes. usable balconies. play areas. amenities.

<$230k per home when it was built in 2017

www.baunetz-architekten.de/dietrich-unt...
In der Wiesen Süd, Wien | Dietrich Untertrifaller, Bregenz
Architekten Profil im BauNetz von Dietrich Untertrifaller , A-6900 Bregenz - dietrich,untertrifaller,architekt,architekten,architektur,bregenz,wien,gallen
www.baunetz-architekten.de
October 31, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
'Designing procurement to include architecture competitions is an opportunity to ensure new housing that will inspire and last; will respond to and serve increasingly diversifying needs; and, perhaps most importantly, reinvigorate public engagement with and trust in public processes'

yes yes yes
October 31, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
oh rad my friend susanne schindler's piece on design competitions as a means for better procurement and better buildings for @harvard-jchs.bsky.social is out!

this is something i want to lean into heavily for local mixed income housing projects. :)

www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/process...
October 31, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
We're just a week away from the @passivhaustrust.bsky.social Open Days and here in York we have a special treat in the shape of Fulford Passivhaus and ten years of occupancy data! A real chance to find out how Passivhaus works in practice - free booking via www.passivhaustrust.org.uk/event_detail...
November 1, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
👏Scottish Passivhaus Schools

Huge kudos to the Scottish Futures Trust for making funding dependent on building performance, resulting in huge Passivhaus uptake.

We're currently working as Passivhaus Certifier on Caledonia High School in Fife.

https://www.ahr.co.uk/projects/caledonia-high-school
October 30, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
we can't address the housing crisis because we're actually investing in increased inequality
The US federal government's spending on housing—directly through the budget, or through tax expenditures—amounts to more than $400 billion a year.

Only about 1/4 of that goes to low-income renters. The majority is spent on subsidizing higher-income homeowners.

www.urban.org/research/pub...
October 30, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
Throwback to that time that thieves tried to break into one of our passive house projects, and learned it's actually quite hard to break into a #Passivhaus.

@vettawindows.bsky.social
October 28, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
Turning #Passivhaus ambition into reality is no small feat. #Joinus on 11th November for our next Passivhaus Client Club

💬 Hear our experts discuss real-world experiences
🔎 Discover new research models
👩‍🏫 Learn how to develop a strong Passivhaus business case

Book now 👉 https://ow.ly/h2Zm50XiK9A
October 29, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
this is exactly why we mandated passivhaus for seattle's social housing developer
October 29, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
🚀 Level up your #PassiveHouse skills!
The PHI Retrofit Online Exam is coming in December 2025 🎓
Earn the Retrofit add-on Seal to prove your expertise in energy-efficient retrofits and boost your career.

👉 Register now: tickets.passivehouse.com/PHI/retrofit-exam/

#PassiveHouseInstitute #Passivhaus
October 30, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Reposted by kevin @ think | design | consult
👻 Explore our spooktacular October #PassivhausPost and discover how #Passivhaus is tackling the climate challenge head-on.

📩 Read more, re-share & #subscribe to stay up to date
👉https://bit.ly/PHTpost2025_10

(Image 3©️ Cheshire Constabulary, image 5©️ Architype )
October 30, 2025 at 10:01 AM