iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Why not simply rename it Dolores Huerta park? Done. Too feminist for San Jose???

Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Epic! Would love to see this applied to every suburban SFH zone in Cali. (Including ones not close to transit.) Brace for backlash against transit. Next: reform Prop 13 to reflect higher SFH rates for civic infra: police, firefighters, water, sewer, landscaping, street lights etc.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Exactly. Unfortunately the awesome work of SB9 and other state laws outlawing ‘subjective’ design guidelines is simply being converted into % calcs, piled on top of bizarre traffic and parking regs. Sunnyvale isn’t the only ‘burb trying to lock in new level of crazy, apparently without realizing it.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

We need to obliterate the ‘local character & local control’ mythos & centralize planning by region. No suburban or rural ‘city’ in California needs their own planning & building departments. It’s chaos-making and a waste of taxpayer dollars. It is why we have a housing crisis in California.

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Reposted by Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie)

Tom Flood @tomflood.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

i've never once said to get rid of cars, all i've ever said is don't stand in the way of making spaces more human-centric and better for people not driving (which in the end actually makes it better for those driving too but whatever...)

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

The hope is real. Even AI cannot stop us from being pack animals who thrive on connection to other animals. (Human and/or other.) #gather #connect #sayhellotostrangers #keephumansalive ;)

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Ezra Klein recently noted America‘s value of ‘place’ has been completely hollowed out by the tech economy: isolated, online and disassociated with social spaces that previously defined our towns & cities. Why would Tech bro’s have any interest in building legacies connected to place?

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

So that’s a wrap of probably my fave PH conference ever. Hotel Marcel is a dream. I’ve had a BLAST meeting the rock stars of implementation, not waiting around for code to move, but just blasting forward to get shit done. Go team PHN. #PHN2026.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Tim challenged the theme: ‘Profit by experience,’ asking who profits and what’s the experience? Reminding us to keep focused on human outcomes beyond spreadsheets and that electrification needs Passivhaus to remove its massive emissions footprint from so many heat pumps…. (Mic drop.) #PHN2026

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Closing plenary by Timothy Lock from Opal drove home the playful punk anarchy ethos embedded in PHPP. (Yes, who knew?!) Loads of flexibility in how to achieve a caring outcome, full of ‘what if’ possibilites. I’m buying ;) #PHN2026

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

And in California Frontier Energy study confirmed both SFH’s and multifamily bldg’s meet T-24 2025 code compliance in all climates, with opportunities to update CBECC for more granular calibration. #PHN2026.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Had to moderate the most anticipated session of #PHN2026 today so my reportage is delayed, but here’s the more slide: PH multifamily buildings now undisputed perform well above IECC and ASHRAE 90.1 baseline codes in all climate zones. So add alternate compliance pathways already, dammit!!!

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

The fabulous Paul Ormond breaking down grid benefits of PH with measured data PROVING massive grid benefits of PH+Allelectric. Duh. #PHN2026.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Alexander G-Murray introduces the new essential acronym: DRIPE (demand response something something energy) in his analysis of grid benefits for building to Passive House in MA. “PH incentives are making energy more affordable for ALL ratepayers!”

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

And the friction between T-24 not being able to recognize so much of PH’s high performance superpowers is being delt and felt in Altadena. Ugh. #PHN2026.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Fantastic survey data from Altadena on Passivhaus design choices and approaches. #PHN2026

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Day 2 of #PHN2026 kicks off with a session on growth & rebuilding in CO & CA. Fort Collins launching a pre-approved plan program to deliver affordable PH at scale. Altadena collective advocating for PH rebuilds.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Oliver style talks about #Passivhaus retirement communities in northern Spain. 80% Savings in operation accelerated the upfront cost payback the payback. #PHN2026

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

If not now, then when??? Cecil Shaub asks the 1$MQ. Also shares the capex opex: 5% upfront premium not recovered on energy saving but more than paid back on comfort, resilience and maintenance reduction.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

70% whole building energy reductions!!!! Measured. We can make BIG change happen fast (when we give up on bullshit incrementalism) Cecil Shaub (with my addition in parenthesis.) BB reporting live from PHN2026 in New Haven.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Another session on historic retroPHit of Rubin Hall in NYC follows the journey of how to replace windows with high performance replacements, while keeping the historic look of the building. #Passivhaus challenges and solutions shared here at PHN2026.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

The ROI math on #Passivhaus hotels: adds $6 MILLION dollars in asset value to Hotel Marcel.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Very simple building decarb toolkit for Hotel Marcel, enhanced by #Passivhaus modeling, shared by Bruce Becker. Sizable solar array with battery storage and micro grid. Passivhaus envelope, low load appliances and all electric kitchen makes this viable.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Bruce Becker saying “Passivhaus is not a luxury. It’s a value engineering strategy that provides the financial freedom to pay the mortgage.”

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

I’m at PHN’s conference at Hotel Marcel: a brutalist building that’s been retrofit to #Passivhaus EnerPHit standard. Packed house! Learning from the masters in a Breuer building.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Heartbreaking. And at the local level, small cities like Sunnyvale are translating their old subjective ‘design standards’ into percentage calculations to disguise them as ‘objective’… (Ugh. More gruesomely awful city council meetings in your future, Jordan.) www.linkedin.com/posts/bronwy...

linkedin.com

An open letter to the City of Sunnyvale to follow the path of the sun | Bronwyn Barry | 21 comments

Any policymaker in California interested in solving the Housing Crisis cannot be taken seriously until they finally look upstream to where every housing proposal process starts: with local city DESIGN...

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Anyone wondering why #rooftopsolar installs in California are so high, look no further than city design ‘guidelines.’ (These are the ‘new’ guidelines proposed by Sunnyvale..) Most mandate complex forms which turn roofs into a cluster of complexity, making PV a PITA to install. Such a sad own goal…

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

I voted today for @katyporter.bsky.social because: - she has political chops AND experience - California needs to (finally) elect a woman Governor - because governance by billionaires is an oligarchy, not a democracy. Go Katy!

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Very hard to increase density when the second floor limits are capped at 50% of 1st floor…(albeit a big improvement from the current 35%.)

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Yep. The whole thing is littered with them. None of it makes sense. Unless you’re trying to ensure every project requests (and pays for) a variance.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Anyone else seeing Californian cities remove design from their 'Design Guidelines' and replace it with arithmetic exercises? Can't see how this will ever deliver "thoughtful planning and design." Check out this Sunnyvale DRAFT: docaccess.com/docviewer.ht... cc. @cafedujord.bsky.social

docaccess.com

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DocAccess Document Assistant

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Always question the conventional wisdom of your chosen field. Status quo is neither static nor definitive.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Transferring my ‘Boxy But Beautiful’ #BBB hashtag over to this platform and awarding it to this classic posted by #rocketsurgeon @maxdubler.com :)-

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Singing my song!!! Junked up forms are NEVER ‘better design’ and ALWAYS add cost, complexity, lower structural outcomes, higher energy use and lower durability. It’s 2026 people. Just say NO to planning departments who still want this shite.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

A minivan-replacement program in San Francisco would be epic! How about it Mayor Lurie? @luriedanielfavors.bsky.social clearly there’s already momentum:

Kid-carrier E-Bikes stacked up outside ODC in San Francisco.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

Wanna know how the flow of electrons is literally shifting the centers of geo-political power? This is exactly the kind of heresy I’m here for: energyandstuff.substack.com/p/pax-electr...

energyandstuff.substack.com

Pax Electricana

The Middle Power Strategy for a Decentralised Electro-Industrial Order

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Best way to do this is go to a few bike shops and test drive their available models. E-bikes come in many forms you need try them. Think about: - ease of use (gear shifts or automatic) - weight (can you get it up a sidewalk) - speed (how fast do you need/want.) I LOVE my VanMoof.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Cost-saving design features to really SEE on this project: 1. Simple form = simple structure and cost-effective foundation 2. Simple material palette = less cost on multiple finishes + fewer fiddly detailing in construction. 3. Exterior shades: lowers cooling loads + HVAC install.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

So many BS calcs + tables to complete before I even START a building permit…! I’m often $30K into design fees JUST for planning approval, simply to confirm massing, height, shading and neighborhood ‘character’ alignment: all analysis paralysis that could be confirmed by LOOKING at the drawings.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

Holiday music with updated lyrics to suit the moment. 🙌🏽

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Reposted by Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie)

Marketing Passivhaus @mktngpassivhaus.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

Hear @passivehousebb.bsky.social on the latest Marketing Passivhaus, discussing her passivhaus journey, the difficulties of marketing passivhaus to policy makers (and architects!), how parameters set you free, and more. Listen to the full episode here => marketingpassivhaus.com/episodes/bro...

marketingpassivhaus.com

Marketing Passivhaus | Bronwyn Barry - Passive House BB

Bronwyn Barry is an architect and principal at Passive House BB, as well as co-founder and recently retired Board Chair of the Passive House Network. It was from Bronwyn that I first came across th...

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Reposted by Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie)

Mike Eliason @holz-bau.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

he may not like it - but someone needs to tell @mayorofseattle that this is what climate action *actually* looks like

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

One more spec from the builder of my recent Sacramento PH Plus project: For an 8” duct we would use a fintech ADC8 www.supplyhouse.com/Fantech-ADC8... We would wire two of these on both the supply and exhaust ducts to open in unison when the hood is turned on.

supplyhouse.com

ADC8 - Fantech ADC8 - 8

Fantech ADC8 - 8

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Guaranteed your occupants will have comfort issues with the window opener option. Winter evenings are cold, even in California. If you’re in a humid climate, then summer evenings with an open window will also suck.

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Bronwyn Barry (she/her/they/them/it/thingumie) @passivehousebb.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Product options for this are certainly a perennial problem. Here are a couple of options I’ve spec’d in past projects: 1. Wall exhaust fan FV-08WQ1 panasonic Damper FV-GKF32S1 panasonic (have the electrician connect it to the hood switch.) 2. www.swegon.com/products-and...

swegon.com

REACT

Variable

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