3 min read
Why Rising Energy Costs Make Smarter Housing a No-Brainer
Timothy Lorang: Jul 29, 2025, 9:36:02 AM
What a recent Ezra Klein episode reveals about cost, permitting, and how to rebuild faster
Notes from the Field
Practical thinking on cost, performance, and risk for teams building at community scale.
Passive House
4 min read
Wildfire Resilient Homes: Safe Indoor Air with Passive House Design
Timothy Lorang: Jul 6, 2025, 8:45:33 AM
When a wildfire hits, most people worry about flames. But smoke is often both the immediate killer and the more pervasive, long-lasting...
3 min read
The Land Is There. The Real Question Is How We Build On It
Timothy Lorang: Apr 22, 2025, 3:45:14 AM
The Housing Crisis Isn't Just About Land The United States doesn’t have a land shortage. From booming metro areas in the Mountain West to suburban...
3 min read
The 3 Simple Steps to Maximize Energy Efficiency Without Increasing Costs
Tim Sweeney: Apr 3, 2025, 6:57:37 AM
The Way Forward The way we design and construct buildings today will shape the future of our planet.
15 min read
Before It's too Late, Distinguished Speaker Series
Tim Sweeney: Nov 6, 2024, 4:34:52 AM
On September 19, 2024, Tim Sweeney gave a presentation to the Dianne Dodd Cheseldine Distinguished Speaker Series at Truckee Meadows Community...
2 min read
Beyond Affordable Student Housing
Timothy Lorang: Apr 22, 2024, 8:31:09 AM
Cal State Long Beach Breaks Ground on $115 Million La Playa Residence Hall Project. According to this recent article in Student Housing Business.com,...
1 min read
‘Passive House Design’ could be the future of sustainable living
Timothy Lorang: Feb 16, 2024, 10:24:18 AM
After Tim Sweeney after his presentation of "Before It's Too Late," at the Nevada AIA Luncheon, KOLO 8 Reporter Taylor Burke interviewed Tim about...
2 min read
Six Reasons Universities Should Support More Efficient and Sustainable Building Projects.
Rod Aeschlimann: Nov 24, 2023, 2:21:35 PM
When it comes to selecting the most beneficial construction systems for new Residential Life, Housing, and Foodservice buildings, University and...
3 min read
The Rise of Sustainability-Minded Builders: Shaping the Future of Construction
Tim Sweeney: Nov 1, 2023, 9:00:53 PM
Discover how sustainability-minded builders are revolutionizing the construction industry and shaping a greener future with the Simplus Building...
6 min read
What do MgO + Passive House™ Panels Really Cost vs Wood Framing?
Tim Sweeney: Sep 12, 2023, 4:00:00 AM
One of the most common questions we hear is “OK, so what will it really cost me?”
1 min read
What are "Embodied Carbon" and a "Carbon Footprint"?
Tim Sweeney: Jun 23, 2023, 2:40:31 PM
Homes, like any building, use materials when they are built, and materials need to be obtained from many sources in many ways. Making materials means...
1 min read
What is the Best Energy Design Software for a Green Home or Building?
Tim Sweeney: Jun 23, 2023, 1:56:59 PM
Opinions of what’s the “Best” software depends upon whom you’re talking to. What’s actually being used typically depends upon the preference of the...