The Studio for High Performance Design and Construction
Buildings like our homes, offices, and schools are responsible for over 40% of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. However, we see an enormous opportunity for change in our built environment through the use of sustainable design and construction practices that can drastically reduce the energy demand of our buildings and help create a carbon neutral world.
Housed in a state-of-the-art Passive House facility, StudioHPDC is a classroom and educational center for sustainable design & construction. We develop and host training courses for consumers, students, architects, and trades people in all experience levels ranging from introductory sessions and overviews to hands-on workshops and certification programs. In addition to training courses, we host regular networking and discussion group events and provide resources for all those interested in sustainable construction.
The Studio for High Performance Design & Construction is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Our Mission
StudioHPDC is focused on improving the sustainable practices of the building industry through education and training and by fostering a community of shared knowledge and learning.
We see an enormous opportunity for change in our built environment through the use of sustainable design & construction practices that can drastically reduce the energy demand of our buildings and help create a carbon neutral world.
Events & Courses
We offer course ranging from introductory sessions to deep dives into construction details for designers, carpenters, contractors, homeowners, policy makers, developers, students, and more.
Staff
PAUL WOLFF, EDUCATIONAL DIRECTOR
Paul is a building construction and technology professional with global experience in program management, sustainable development and hands-on learning. He’s worked with technical high schools, colleges, corporations and non-profits seeking to improve climate resiliency and to meet long-term sustainability goals.
Paul has helped 339 individuals from 17 countries pursue their LEED Green Associate (GA) or Acccredited Professional (AP) credentials. He’s also loves flying drones, making comics and creating stop-motion videos.
Board of Directors
Nick Falkoff, president
Principal of Auburndale Builders Inc, Nick has worked in residential and commercial construction for 17 years, with his company responsible for some of the first Passive House and net-zero homes in the state, including the renovation of their own office and the StudioHPDC classroom. Nick is a three-year Board Member at Builders & Remodelers Association of Greater Boston, a CAPS Certified Aging in Place Specialist, active NESEA member, and current Board Vice-President of Passive House of Massachusetts
KEITH LEWIS, Vice President
Keith Lewis, a building professional for over 26 years, has primarily been focused on the residential construction industry as well as working in restoration of historical buildings and energy retrofits of schools and public gathering spaces. Since 2012 Keith narrowed his focus to sustainable construction practices and ecological design to minimize the global impact of the buildings and process in the industry. Keith currently builds Passive house, net-zero custom homes in New England while also taking the time to teach the process and techniques to students and other professionals at Yestermorrow Design/build school in Warren VT as well as building conferences and town halls throughout New England. He practices what he preaches and currently lives in a 1951 cape in Sherborn MA that he is bringing up to a net-zero standard.
KATE STEPHENSON, Treasurer & secretary
Kate is a partner in HELM Construction Solutions, which works with owners, designers and builders to create high performance and sustainable buildings and businesses. She is an experienced leader in the fields of green building, professional education, sustainability, and business management. She’s worked with established and emerging businesses and non-profits to achieve triple bottom line metrics, develop business systems, and plan for a dynamic and resilient future. She has deep experience in post-secondary education, and led the Yestermorrow Design/Build School for over thirteen years. Kate helped to develop and is a facilitator for NESEA’s BuildingEnergy Bottom Lines program, a peer network for builders and architects.
travis Anderson, board member
Travis is the Senior Infrastructure and Energy Planner, BPDA - Boston Smart Utilities Program. He previously served as Placetailor's Director of Innovative Design. With over 20 years of experience, his practice based research has heavily informed high performance assemblies and systems found in projects across Placetailor’s portfolio. Travis leads embodied carbon analysis, zero net energy building systems and energy modeling as part of Placetailor’s integrated design team. He was the lead consultant for the City of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development to develop Zero Emission Building standards for affordable housing that were implemented in 2020. Travis is also a member of the Boston Planning and Development Agency’s Technical Advisory Group for the city’s upcoming zero carbon emission zoning standards and was appointed by Mayor Marty Walsh to be a member of the PLAN Newmarket Advisory Group. Travis is a Certified Passive House Consultant and has worked on numerous high performance buildings in New England and truly believes that housing can be part of the climate solution.
Aaron Gunderson, BOARD MEMBER
Aaron is a sustainability and green building consultant and also works as Executive Director of Passive House Massachusetts. He is a Certified Passive House Tradesperson with experience with environmental organizing, clean-tech start-ups, and solar power installers. He holds a Master's in Sustainability from Harvard University where he focused on sustainable building design, embodied energy analysis, greenhouse gas reporting, and community-level climate adaptation. Prior to this, Aaron earned a LEED Green Associate accreditation, a graduate certificate in Green Building, and a BA in Political Science and Social Psychology. He lives with his wife in an old (and not yet passive) house in Dorchester and can frequently be found hiking, biking, or cross-country skiing across New England.
STEPHANIE HOROWITZ, board member
As Managing Director of ZeroEnergy Design, Stephanie orchestrates the firm’s portfolio of net-zero energy and Passive House certified projects, with a focus on the residential sector. She believes that great design should enhance the value of each place, be long-lasting, and make optimal utility of both space and energy. Recently awarded Boston Home Magazine's Best Sustainable Architect, her work has garnered a design award from the Boston Society of Architects as well as Citation for Sustainable Design. Her designs have appeared in notable publications such as Architectural Record, Design New England, New England Home and The New York Times. In addition to her role at ZED, Stephanie served on the Massachusetts Design Selection Board as the AIA of Massachusetts' representative and is a founding board member and former President of Passive House Massachusetts. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University. Stephanie is a Certified Passive House Consultant and a Registered Architect in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and New Jersey.
jesper kruse, board member
Jesper Kruse is the owner and General Manager of Maine Passive House (MPH), located in Western Maine. Originally a social worker in his native Denmark, Jesper ended up in the construction industry after moving to the US. While spending a sabbatical year back in Denmark with his wife and young children, Jesper heard about the Passive House standard, and decided this was the wave of the future. He built his first Passive House in 2010, and never looked back. MPH is a small, but progressive construction company, integrating the Passive House principles into all their projects, and striving to fit more community projects in between their residential and light commercial projects. MPH has a young workforce, and a gender ratio of 1:1. Jesper is also co-founder of passivhausMAINE and a certified Passive House Consultant.
Stu Bernstein, CO-Founder (IN MEMORIAM)
Stu was co-founder of the Studio and a dedicated advocate for its principles and a large key to its success. Stu had decades of experience with Fortune 100 Companies and start-ups as varied as in the medical device, healthcare, telemedicine, medical services, and molecular modeling industries and brought much-needed organization and business skills and focus to the Studio team. He was also co-founder of Specialists On-Call, a 24/7 emergency telemedicine company. He has developed distribution channels domestically and internationally, managed more than 12 sales teams, comprising in some cases more than 100 salespeople with an annual quota of $500M.
“A new training center for Passive House and high-performance building education recently opened in Newton, Massachusetts, conceived and constructed by Auburndale Builders. The Studio for High-Performance Design and Construction occupies one end of the newly renovated Auburndale Builders office. The existing building was a one-story concrete garage 70 feet long and 20 feet wide, with concrete floors, walls, and ceilings.”