Certified Passive House Designer

I did a little dance this morning. An email landed in my inbox from Passive House Institute, the news I have been quietly hoping for. I can proudly and confidently say that I am now a Passive House Designer. 

Passive House is a wonderful tool to make an Architecturally Designed building more efficient. As energy costs are rising and healthy homes becoming more of a requirement (finally) this tool now allows me to design smarter. When we create architecture that works not only aesthetically but also practically and holistically, we are designing for the bigger picture. When we consider rising energy costs and increasing improvements in what we create, we are designing for the future. 

The past six months have challenged me. The juggle between running a business, especially in these unpredictable times, and studying has meant time has become even more valuable to me. Then there is the uncomfortableness of sitting in a room realizing I don’t know as much as I would like to think I do. There is that old saying, “the more I learn, the more I realize how much more there is to learn.” In a world where we need to know what we are talking about to offer a quality service to our clients, this contrast coming in the form of an online lecture every week challenged me both professionally and personally. 

I knew it was the right time to do this, regardless of how much work it took. As the public becomes more focused on sustainability issues, as we start talking about the bigger picture of how our decisions affect our planet, we are collectively starting to re-evaluate how we are doing things. It's not what we are doing, it is how we are doing it that can make a positive difference. 

I want to give a big thank you to all my wonderful friends who checked in on me during this time, offered to cook me dinners, and remembered to text me good luck before the big, long exam. Also a big thank you to my study buddy, Mel, whose support and understanding, because she was in it with me, was invaluable. Als a big acknowledgment and thank you to Kara Rosemeier, who really prepared me so well for the exam. When people are excited to see you succeed and want to support your success, not only is it humbling but also more cause to celebrate. 

Here is to Smarter Architecture Design with people and planet in mind.