Resilience in Buildings and Building Resilience

Thursday, September 18 • 9:10 am—9:40 am

Resilience starts simply, with durability. It means we need to design and build to keep homeowners safe—in some places, from strong winds and high waters; in others, from earthquakes, wildfires, and smoke. But that’s just the beginning. Perhaps resilience is also about adaptation, the electrical grid, personal finances, homeowner health, equity, and people’s livelihoods. Let’s dive in!

With Josh Salinger: Joshua Salinger is founder and president of Birdsmouth Design-Build in Portland, OR. Birdsmouth is a residential Design-Build firm focused on addressing climate change through the built environment through 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 certification program. He is vice president of Passive House Northwest and also sits on the technical committee of Zero Energy Ready Oregon. Additionally, he is an ‘Expert Member’ on Green Building Advisor and contributes content to Fine Homebuilding magazine.

Why Attainable Is More Realistic Than Affordable

Thursday, September 18 • 10:30 am—11:00 am

Custom, single-family homes simply aren’t “affordable.” Many go over budget—and more and more frequently, they never get out of the ground because of costs. Every project has a budget, and every budget requires tradeoffs. Here are some examples of how we work to make projects attainable for the homeowners, and how we decide when to look beyond upfront costs and consider operating costs.

With Emily Mottram: Emily is the founder and principal of Mottram Architecture, a Maine-based practice specializing in new homes and renovations that are beautiful, functional, comfortable, healthy, and durable. Emily regularly teaches building science and sustainable design at local colleges and events across the country. She is a co-author of Pretty Good House, hosts the E3: Energy and Efficiency with Emily podcast, and cohosts the BS* + Beer Show. You can find Emily at mottramarch.com.

Getting Real About Off-Site Construction

Thursday, September 18 • 1:20 pm—1:50 pm

If you’ve been hearing that panelized or modular construction is the future of home building for the last few decades, you might be wondering why the future never seems to arrive. Benefits like quality control, minimizing waste, and easier scheduling should be real. So why isn’t off-site construction more widely adopted? What do you need to know if you want to give it a try? And what would have to change about off-site processes to make them work for your business?

With Jesse Thompson: Jesse is the cofounder and principal of Kaplan Thompson Architects and Brightbuilt Home, a design-build company that specializes in zero-energy and zero-energy-ready modular homes. Jesse is an AIA Fellow, a board member of the Portland Society of Architecture, and a founding member of Passivhaus Maine. Jesse’s experience includes single-family homes, multifamily buildings, educational buildings, and on-site and off-site construction methods. You can find Jesse at kaplanthompson.com.

Why Craft Matters as Much as Ever

Thursday, September 18 • 2:40 pm—3:10 pm

There are good reasons why the building industry is hyperfocused on things like resilience and energy efficiency these days. Yet the perceived quality of a new home or remodel often comes down to what we can see and touch—cabinetry, trim, tile, paint, and other finishes. These are things people experience and love every day about their homes. Creating them is also satisfying work that we should be proud of. This is why the ethos of the modern craftsperson is really no different from those of the past.

With Tyler Grace: Tyler is the owner/operator of TRG Home Concepts, a boutique remodeling company that specializes in detailed renovations of older homes. Focusing on smaller projects allows them the necessary time and budget for thoughtful design, thorough site protection, quality installations, comprehensive processes, and the ability to self-perform various trades. Tyler believes this hands-on approach and tight control over projects are key to delivering an exceptional product and client experience. You can find Tyler at trghomeconcepts.com.

It’s Not Enough to Design Good Buildings

Friday, September 19 • 9:10 am—9:40 am

A business model that aims to enable and accelerate widespread adoption of sustainable housing and home building seems like a tall order for a two-person design firm. Yet that’s just what one Duluth, Minn., firm is doing. With systems thinking and integrated design, education, public engagement, and collaboration, they’re building sustainability and resilience into their business, and into the communities they serve.

With Rachel Wagner: Rachel is an architect and a green building expert with 30 years of experience in design, systems thinking, and community education. She began her career designing community-built playgrounds with a firm that engages stakeholders in the design, planning, and construction. In private practice she designed custom resource-efficient homes that optimize use of the sun’s energy, during which she became what some call a “building energy geek.” You can find Rachel at throughdesign.net.

How to Be a Great Employer

Friday, September 19 • 10:30 am—11:00 am

The design and building world of residential construction faces some obstacles, from a lack of skilled labor to a lack of diversity. For small businesses, bringing on first-time employees and growing a team comes with many challenges. With the right approach to recruiting, training, and compensation and benefits, you can build a great team, reduce turnover, and grow the thriving business of your dreams.

With Kate Stephenson: Kate is a partner at HELM Construction Solutions, an experienced leader in the fields of green building, professional education, sustainability, and business management. She’s worked with established and emerging businesses to develop business systems and plan for a resilient future. Kate is also a Fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program and a member of the Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee, and she serves on the boards of NESEA and the Studio for High Performance Design and Construction. She is a regular contributor to Fine Homebuilding’s Building Business column. You can find Kate at buildhelm.com.

Luminary Interview: A Builder’s Journey from Founder to Future

Friday, September 19 • 1:20 pm—2:20 pm

Ben Bogie is one of the leading voices in the building industry today, and he’s particularly keen to learn from his elders. John Abrams is an industry luminary, having run a successful business that built everything from housing co-ops to luxury homes over a 50-year span, focusing equally on designing and building smart, high-quality homes; being a great employer; practicing environmentally responsible building; and serving the community. He recently turned leadership of the company over to his employees and shifted his focus to helping others achieve similar goals. Join us for Ben’s live interview with John Abrams.

With Ben Bogie and John Abrams

Ben Bogie: A well-known high-performance builder, a Fine Homebuilding and Green Building Advisor author, a member of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, a host of the BS* and Beer Show, and a regular speaker at building industry events, Ben is known for his depth of knowledge on all things building, from carpentry to building science to business. He’s a third-generation builder who started in the trades at age 16 and is currently the director of outreach and education and production manager at BPC Green Builders in Ridgefield, Conn. You can find Ben at bpcgreenbuilders.com.

John Abrams: In 1973, John cofounded South Mountain Company (SMCo) on Martha’s Vineyard. Fifty years later, this 40-person worker co-op is among the world’s highest-scoring B-Corps. SMCo is a design-build firm that practices integrated architecture, building, and solar-energy design. On December 31, 2022, John relinquished his company leadership and cofounded Abrams+Angell, providing guidance to small businesses hoping to achieve social, environmental, and financial goals.

John is a cofounder, facilitator, and steering committee member of Building Energy Bottom Lines; he engages in a variety of forms of community activism mostly involving affordable housing, and he serves on the steering committee and executive committee of the Coalition to Create the Martha’s Vineyard Housing Bank. John is the author of Companies We Keep: Employee Ownership and the Business of Community and Place, and From Founder to Future: A Business Roadmap to Impact, Longevity, and Employee Ownership, released June 3rd, 2025. You can find John at abramsangell.com.