Tag Archives: Modern Design

Forge Craft Architecture + Design Development of Passive House Science & Affordable Housing Policy | 691 | Overcoming Industry Inertia in Modern Urban Development

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Forge Craft Architecture + Design excels in the development of passive house science, affordable housing policy, and overcoming industry inertia in modern urban development.

  • The Core Philosophy: Forge Craft was founded on the principle that building design and performance must be equal and inseparable.
  • Affordable Housing as a Platform for Sustainability: The firm approaches affordable housing not only as a social necessity but as a powerful driver for energy efficiency and long-term building performance.
  • The Role of Policy and Advocacy: Working closely with nonprofit developers requires looking far beyond the short window of design and construction, leading the team to engage heavily in housing policy and zoning advocacy.
  • Building Science and Healthy Materials: Through certifications like Certified Passive House and material health initiatives, the firm focuses on creating resilient, moisture-managed, and toxin-free building envelopes.
  • Overcoming Industry Inertia: Despite advancements in modular construction and mass timber, the real estate and lending markets remain risk-averse, often defaulting to conventional stick-built methods.

Applicable Links & References

Unifying High Performance and Design: Inside the Evolution of Forge Craft Architecture |. | Partners Scott Ginder, Jon Cartwright, and Trey Farmer detail how Forge Craft combines passive house science, policy advocacy, and flexible housing models to redefine affordable and custom design.

Ever feel like the word “affordable housing” is the ultimate oxymoron in modern architecture? You’re not alone.

In the latest episode of Convo By Design, I sat down with Scott Ginder, Jon Cartwright, and Trey Farmer from Austin’s Forge Craft Architecture. Now, usually when architects talk about “building performance,” they mean keeping the rain out and making sure your living room wall doesn’t breathe like an old accordion.

But these guys are actually out here trying to break the system. From designing multi-million dollar custom homes to tackling actual non-profit supportive housing, they’re proving that high-performance building science shouldn’t just be a rich guy’s hobby.

We unpack why stick-built construction is stuck in the Stone Age, how local housing policy is practically designed to give developers a headache, and why Passive House tech might just save us from ourselves. It’s a reality check on where architecture is actually going while some, and you know who you are still copying and pasting plans from 1995.

Catch the full conversation on the podcast now. Hit play, subscribe, and let’s chop it up.

Foundational Philosophy: Scott Ginder co-founded Forge Craft in 2013 alongside Rommel Sulit on the premise that building design and building performance must be equal partners. The firm intentionally bridges the gap between custom, high-end residential projects and high-density affordable housing.

Capital ‘A’ vs. Lowercase ‘a’ Affordability: Jon Cartwright delineates the difference between subsidized, income-restricted housing (Capital A) which often requires extensive supportive infrastructure, and market-driven housing affordability (lowercase a), which relies on zoning reforms, density bonuses, and policy updates like Austin’s HOME ordinance.

Deep Sustainability & Building Science: Trey Farmer outlines the integration of Passive House standards, certified through his role as a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC). Forge Craft’s Healthy Home Studio applies advanced building science—such as energy modeling, embodied carbon accounting, and non-toxic material selections—across various construction types ranging from mass timber (CLT) to Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF).

Policy Advocacy in Practice: As Chair of the Austin Housing Coalition, John Cartwright emphasizes that architectural responsibility extends beyond construction into long-term municipal policy, advocating for changes in code, land availability, and density to unlock long-term housing viability.

Navigating Market Inertia: The partners discuss structural barriers to innovation in central Texas, including reliance on traditional stick-built construction, developer risk aversion, and complex urban lot constraints that present challenges to off-site modular prefabricated systems.

Related Links & Resources

  • Forge Craft Architecture Studio — Explore the official website and portfolio of Forge Craft Architecture, featuring their Healthy Home and Affordable Housing studios.
  • Foundation Communities — Learn about the Austin-based non-profit developer behind supportive housing projects like Bluebonnet Studios.
  • Passive House Institute US (Phius) — Discover passive building standards, energy-efficient building science principles, and consultant certifications.
  • Parsons Healthy Materials Lab — Access research and guidelines on non-toxic, healthy building materials and indoor air quality.
  • Austin Housing Coalition — Read about policy initiatives, local advocacy, and affordable housing strategies in Central Texas.

You Will Love This – The Best Italian Inspired Modern Design | 249 | Jules Wilson

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This episode features one of my favorite Southern California designers, Jules Wilson. Jules is the president of her eponymous San Diego design firm and like many of the designers and architects that I have spoken with over the years, she knew early on that this was something she was supposed to be doing. Growing up in rural, Rockford, Illinois she began dreaming of what she wanted her world to look like. It started with Legos and took her out of Illinois and to Italy to learn how classic cities were built. She subscribes to Picasso’s idea that modern philosophy begins with a basis in history. This is something you have heard on the show before. As I write this, I can recall hearing that from a few of the more successful creators I have spoken with so there must be something to it.

Jules Wilson and her design studio are crafting some of the most extraordinary California inspired design you will find anywhere. This is not to typecast or style-cast her work, those are my words. As I study her firm’s work, and I encourage you to look at the work as well… You see residential, commercial, multifamily, retail and it is all different but with some universal consistencies. Use of varied materials and products that all seem to have been coordinated to their environments from the foothills in Tempe, Arizona, the North Shore of Hawaii or a high rise apartment in Atlanta.

You wouldn’t know from her work, but she would rather be working in Rome or Milan, which I find fascinating. For someone at the top of her game, truly a master of the modern aesthetic within multiple sub-settings, living and working in San Diego, one of the most beautiful locations in the world to long for somewhere else… Well isn’t that what truly motivates us all to do our best work. I would say that anyone who is truly and completely satisfied in their current setting is not challenging themselves to reach their full potential. Not trying to get to philosophical here, but I do believe there is some truth to that. That is also what makes this conversation so fascinating. I hope you agree, this is Jules Wilson.