Passive House 101

In partnership with the Ontario General Contractors Association

70% of the world’s GHG emissions come from cities and 53% of Toronto’s emissions are from buildings. We are at a critical stage to move towards a fully functioning green building economy. How can we create buildings that are healthier, sustainable and affordable?

As government and policies ramp up to combat climate change, the Passive House (Passivhaus) standard is internationally-recognized as the highest level building standard for net-zero buildings.

This webinar will provide an introductory overview of the design and build standard, offering multiple perspectives involved in the process. Hear from Chris Ballard, CEO of Passive House Canada, Deborah Byrne, COO of Kearns Mancini Architects, and Henry Schilthuis, President of Schilthuis Construction, who will share their thoughts and experiences on the design and construction of Passive House projects.

This event is recommended for general contractors, designers, builders, and anyone interested in learning about Passive House and high-performance buildings.

Chris Ballard, CEO, Passive House Canada

Chris Ballard is CEO of Passive House Canada. Chris has a history of supporting environmental and land use causes, most recently as the Ontario’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change implementing the government’s plan for a clean environment and a sustainable economy. He also served as the Minister of Housing and the Minister responsible for Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy and Member of the Treasury Board. Chris is a past Executive Director of the 60,000 member Consumers’ Association of Canada (Ontario) and a founding board member of the Consumers Council of Canada. His leadership in journalism, communications and public affairs includes terms as President and Board member of the Public Affairs Association of Canada.

Deborah Byrne, COO, Kearns Mancini Architects

Deborah is the Director of Passive House Design Services and COO of Kearns Mancini Architects Inc. She trained as Structural Engineer and has over 20 years of extensive experience working in the architecture and planning, real estate and construction industry. Deborah has been at the forefront of the Passive House conversation for over 12 years, as a Board Member, designer, peer reviewer trainer, speaker, policy change advocate and writer on all topics related to Passive House design and construction. She is a founding member of Passive House Canada, the Ontario Passive House Group, and the Passive House Association, Ireland. Deborah has designed many innovative building envelope solutions for large scale PH developments and has brought forward high performance building innovation in the construction industry.

Henry Schilthuis, President, Schilthuis Construction

Henry Schilthuis has been President of Schilthuis Construction since 2003, a family run business in operation since 1952. Schilthuis is a design-build firm, offering project management and general contracting services, and has one of Ontario’s most experienced construction teams specializing in multi-unit residential, commercial and institutional Passive House projects.