Discover Passive Building: Strategies, Insights, and Certification Pathways
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Virtual Session
12:00 - 1:00 PM
About the Presentation:
Join us for an informative webinar exploring passive building projects and practical strategies for achieving passive building certification.
Passive building is a high-performance approach that emphasizes thermal, moisture, and air control—through airtight construction and advanced ventilation systems—to create buildings that are quieter, more resilient, energy-efficient, and offer superior indoor air quality.
In this session, you'll gain a deeper understanding of passive building through:
- An overview of passive building principles
- Real-world case studies showcasing successful implementation
- Incentives and support for certification programs like Phius
- Expert insights on cost mitigation strategies for building passive homes
This webinar is ideal for anyone interested in learning more about passive building and how to apply these strategies to meet certification standards—especially in the Texas climate.
Presenters:
Kevin Witt AIA, LEED AP, CPHC
Kevin is an architect with 25 years of experience designing, developing, and building high-performance homes. He completed his Master of Architecture at Texas Tech, followed by an internship in Colorado. Later, he co-founded a Seattle-based design/build firm, where he developed infill housing projects, built custom homes on remote and challenging sites, and championed sustainable building practices.
A Phius Certified Builder since 2014 and Phius Certified Consultant since 2023, Kevin has completed two Phius-certified homes—one as a builder, one as an architect. Now based in the Austin area, he is currently developing two market-rate spec homes targeting Phius Core Certification and serves as president of the Austin Chapter of the Phius Alliance.
Trey Farmer, Partner and Principal at Forge Craft Architecture + Design
With nearly two decades of experience in sustainable design and construction, and as the firm's Chief Sustainability Officer, Trey is passionate about projects that make life better for people and our planet.
Trey currently serves on the Austin Passive House Alliance Board, the National Passive House Alliance Council and Policy Committee, The Humid Climate Conference Steering Committee and the City of Austin Resource Management Commission.
Stephanie Perrone-Freeborg, PMP®, LEED GA, Phius Associate
Stephanie has over 25 years of experience in sustainable building practices with an emphasis in energy management, building operations, construction, and program design. She completed her Master of Science in Sustainable Design at The University of Texas at Austin and has a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She currently is a project manager for the residential team for Austin Energy Green Building. In this role she oversees the Austin Energy’s Passive Building Incentive program.
