For 16 years, Jeremiah Point worked as a mechanical engineer on commercial projects. He found himself growing increasingly frustrated with the way buildings were being insulated. Sure, they all met the basic building code requirements but he saw that the poor quality of insulation would inevitably lead to escalating heating costs, repairs, renovations, and waste.
A self-professed obsessive learner and founder of Point Engineering, he sought out information about more efficient building practices and found that Passive House design—the most rigorous energy-based standards in the construction industry—made sense to him. This type of construction eliminated the need for any heating or cooling systems (and the bills that come with them). Jeremiah came to understand that paying attention to quality materials and simple techniques would lead to more comfortable, cost-effective, and healthier living. He was particularly impressed with how these types of buildings will last for generations, even seven generations or longer.
“Of all people, Indigenous people understand passive houses because for tens of thousands of years, we lived without furnaces. We found a way.”
To bring all that he learned home, the 38-year-old became a Certified Passive House Designer in 2019 and has since pushed to bring this standard to the communities that surround him. In 2018, he hosted a three-day, hands-on Passive House Tradesperson training in Akwesasne (a first in Eastern Canada). He was elected to a three-year term as a member of the Board of Directors for Passive House Canada that started earlier this year. Together with his colleagues, he is hoping to organize a meeting between the organization and the Assembly of First Nations to propose the introduction of higher performance building practices for all Indigenous communities across the country.
Already, his passion is helping move the needle. A recent notice of tender issued by the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne for the construction of a triplex apartment building included a requirement unseen before now: Passive House Tradesperson training.
Jeremiah has ported his knowledge into Cornwall too. He’s currently finishing up a multi-residential dwelling on Pitt Street constructed with a special slab. He says the only heat required in winter will be provided by heat from the fridge or a human body. (For building buffs, it’s also worth mentioning that the slab was designed in a collaboration between Jeremiah and the lead engineer at Legallet Canada, a Long Sault-based company. It’s the first floating slab for a full brick exterior and is now available across North America.)
Jeremiah says he’ll continue to advocate for this mindful approach to construction because in his mind, it’s the only logical way to move forward.
“We can construct buildings that are wasteful and harmful to the environment, or we can return to our roots and live in balance with our environment. It doesn’t have to cost us more money. We just need to build better and smarter.”
Photography by Jason McNamara / Framed Photography
