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Fighting for the Future

The 2024 passivehausMAINE Forum brought together the community to share innovative, sustainable ideas
Words By Decor Maine
Photos By Andy Gagne

This year, passivhausMAINE held its annual forum at The Harraseeket Inn, uniting people from around the country to discuss passive house principles and the future of high-performance design and construction. The momentum for sustainability increases each year—attendance was up 53 percent from last year’s forum.

Matthew O’Malia of OPAL and TimberHP addresses a packed room.
From left to right: The MA Builders team with Brad Richards and Kate Stephenson from HELM Construction Solutions, and Jesse Thompson from Kaplan Thompson Architects.

Naomi Beal, executive director at passivhausMAINE, enjoyed seeing topics like retrofits presented in a new light: “Our keynote speaker, architect Jeremy Avellino, swung wide in an exploration of neurodivergence in rethinking retrofitting homes and architecture after a recent ADHD diagnosis.”

Alex Lord from Lord Building Solutions.
ReVision Energy is a long-term sponsor of passivhausMAINE.
Jamie Snook from GO Logic.
Katrina Belle, passivhausMAINE Board Chair and Operations Manager for Maine Passive House, listening to the sessions.

Additionally, the youth demographic was well represented at the forum. A panel gave space for five women in their twenties to share their experiences and impacts working in the fields of the built environment and activism. “It’s exciting to hand over the reins to hear more young voices on the scene,” says Naomi. While it can be easy to despair over the climate crisis, passivhausMAINE filled attendees with hope and a strong sense of community ready to rally for their planet.

Scott Johnston and friends from TimberHP, which specializes in Maine-made wood-fiber insulation.

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