How does location guide renovation performance goals with Rachel White & Josh Salinger

Описание: This month’s guest hosts bring serious credentials and a few time zones’ worth of perspective to the table.

Joshua Salinger is the founder and principal of Birdsmouth Design-Build in Portland, OR. Birdsmouth is a residential design-build firm focused on addressing climate change through the built environment via zero-energy new homes and deep energy retrofits. He is an instructor for both Earth Advantage’s Sustainable Homes Professional program and PHIUS’ Certified Passive House Builder training program. Josh sits on the board of Passive House Northwest and the technical committee of Zero Energy Ready Oregon. He’s also an Expert Member on Green Building Advisor and a contributor to Fine Homebuilding magazine.

Rachel White is CEO of Byggmeister Design/Build, a 43-year-old residential remodeling company that’s striving to serve as an exemplary steward of existing homes and to prepare them to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Rachel has been affiliated with Byggmeister since 2008, when she hired the firm to renovate her own home. What started as an effort to reduce her personal carbon footprint became her life’s work. She serves on the Energy Commission in Newton, MA, and is a past board chair of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. Before joining the building world, Rachel taught modern Jewish history to adult learners. She holds a PhD in Religious Studies from Brown University and a BA in Religion from Haverford College.

Together, Rachel and Josh dig into the role of place in shaping renovation goals, how building codes, climate zones, energy costs, and even regional attitudes influence how we approach upgrades, performance targets, and carbon reduction strategies. Tune in for an East vs. West dialogue packed with insight, experience, and just the right amount of friendly coastal rivalry.