Passive House Northwest Conference at MVLC

HKP Architects could not have been more thrilled that the 2026 Passive House Northwest Conference was held in the Mount Vernon Library Commons, a Phius certified passive building that HKP and its team completed in 2024. The crowd of 150 was treated to a first-hand experience of what it feels like to be thermally comfortable and taking in fresh air all day long, something that most conference go-ers never experience. The theme of this year’s conference was barriers to passive building adoption, and it was fitting, I think, that we can celebrate accomplishments like this building project at the same time.

The conference started off with Thursday night’s Happy Hour at La Cantrina hosted by B.PUBLIC prefab, who has recently opened an office in our building to serve the PNW region. It was a lively evening as folks came in from Oregon and Washington to gather and share knowledge.

Friday morning kicked off with the keynote speaker, Beth Campbell, who spoke to the incredible initiative that Massachusetts has adopted and the resultant increase in passive buildings, something that all of us in this region would love to replicate. A panel of policy makers and financial experts spoke to the challenges of regulation and banking restrictions—but also opportunities on the horizon. The afternoon panel consisted of local designers, builders, and developers, and the closing plenary featured Tim MacDonald, an architect and developer, who made us all rethink how we should look at barriers—more as lenses, full of opportunity and rewards.

Some of the barriers that were identified were the perception of additional cost, “unknown” versus “the way we have always done it”, lack of trained tradespeople, lack of understanding of the principles, lack of comparable appraisals, lack of incentives that exist elsewhere in the country (i.e. Massachusetts), and permitting requirements like excessive modulation.

The fact that the cost of construction is the highest in years does not help the conversation, but it does drive it towards efficient reuse of existing building stock and the cost of utilities and repairs over the life of the building. Providing energy-saving projects is key in helping building owners and renters afford their monthly bills and repairs.

There was energy in the air throughout the entire day. Lunch conversations were lively, sponsor tables were full of deep conversations, and networking was in full force.

Saturday’s Bus Tour took 38 of us out into the valley to check out two private residences—one in construction and one completed, one solar decathlon tiny home, a multi-family affordable project in construction, and back to the Mount Vernon Library Commons for a tour. There were quiz questions along the way about the projects with donated swag prizes. Again, the mood was lively, fun, and energetic. 

I treasure this community for its friendliness, willingness to share, and passion for the mission.  As a new board member to PHnw, I was very proud to have had a part in making this conference a success and hosting it in our first passive building.