Reframe

About Reframe

Reframe is the podcast about building sustainability. Commercial and public buildings are among the biggest producers of carbon emissions. It’s a problem of massive scale. But, for building owners, engineers and contractors, solving it may actually be more of an opportunity than a challenge. That’s what the “Reframe” podcast is all about. Join host Jeff Nichols on an exploration of the forces driving sustainability in our built environment. And meet the people who are leading the charge.

Publisher

Pilotlight

Category

business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 Oct 2024

Latest episode

16 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

21 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   16 Jul 2026

   A Clean Transition

   with Erin Hauk For decades, most people have viewed utilities through a simple lens: keep the lights on and the power flowing. But in this episode of Reframe, Erin Hauk (https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinnhauk/), Sustainability Program Manager at Puget Sound Energy (https://www.pse.com/en/green-options/Clean-Energy-Basics), challenges that perception, arguing that utilities are uniquely positioned to become some of the most influential drivers of energy efficiency, building decarbonization, and community-wide sustainability. Erin's journey started far from the utility world. After theater school, she became a Starbucks barista and espresso machine repairer before landing a corporate facilities role during the pandemic. That hands-on experience turned out to be foundational. She explains that building facilities managers who already track preventive maintenance and equipment health are "more than halfway" to compliance with Washington State's Clean Buildings Performance Standard (https://www.commerce.wa.gov/cbps/). She says the challenge is rarely operational readiness, but documentation and awareness. This insight shapes how PSE administers its Clean Buildings Accelerator Program (https://www.pse.com/en/business-incentives/energy-management-programs/clean-buildings?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=ee-bem-cleanbuildings&sc_camp=EB29FB62E14946C9F134BBB11D8BC427), which walks larger Tier 1 and smaller Tier 2 building owners through compliance with one-on-one coaching, virtual scans, and cohort-based support. One of Erin's most compelling observations is that the clean energy transition isn't fundamentally a technology challenge: it's a people challenge. She argues that utilities possess deep technical expertise—citing engineers, usage-pattern data, and established customer relationships that position them to guide the adoption of newer technologies, where consumer awareness often lags what's actually available. She contrasts this with the disjointed experience many building owners face: separate processes for benchmarking, operations and maintenance plans, capital planning, and financing, with no clear throughline. Utilities, she suggests, are well placed to help stitch that journey together because they already sit at the intersection of customer relationships and technical resources. The episode's emotional anchor is Erin's story about a grieving orca mother from the Pacific Northwest, which she says permanently reoriented her toward environmental work. It’s a connection that resurfaces literally in her current role, as PSE balances hydropower generation with salmon and orca population health on the Baker River. She uses this, along with a callback to the 1990s six-pack-ring turtle PSA, to argue that data and compliance mandates alone won't shift behavior. Storytelling and emotional connection are what make sustainability feel urgent and personal. Perhaps Erin's most hopeful message is that the tools needed to build a more sustainable future already exist. The challenge is creating the awareness, trust, and momentum to use them. When utilities embrace their role as educators, conveners, and community partners—not simply energy providers—they become powerful catalysts for change. Erin closes by encouraging listeners weighing a career pivot to look specifically at utilities, describing her move into the industry as a chance to apply corporate strategic thinking toward something bigger than the bottom line, and calling out that "fixed mindsets," not a lack of resources, are the real obstacle to progress. Get more info on Puget Sound Energy’s Clean Buildings Accelerator Program (https://www.pse.com/en/business-incentives/energy-management-programs/clean-buildings?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=ee-bem-cleanbuildings&sc_camp=EB29FB62E14946C9F134BBB11D8BC427) Learn about Washington State’s Clean Energy Transformation Act (or CETA (https://www.commerce.wa.gov/energy-policy/electricity-policy/ceta/)) PSE partners with Stillwater Energy (https://stillwaterenergy.com/projects/puget-sound-energy/) to help address energy efficiency and building decarbonization challenges in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Commerce (https://www.commerce.wa.gov/), which offers incentives and grants (https://www.commerce.wa.gov/cbps/cbps-grants-incentives/) to building owners required to comply with Washington’s Clean Buildings Performance Standard (CBPS (https://www.commerce.wa.gov/cbps/)). In the interview, Erin refers to “MIA” or Measure Impact Assessment, which was a program administered by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Note that the U.S. Department of Energy released a new organizational chart (https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/Organization-Chart-11.20.2025-2.pdf) in 2025 that removed groups focused on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and reducing carbon emissions, including the EERE (https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/11/24/department-of-energy-removes-renewable-energy-climate-offices/). The Reframe podcast (https://www.linkedin.com/company/reframe-podcast/) is hosted by Jeff Nichols (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffersonnichols/) and presented by Pilotlight (https://www.pilotlight.ai/podcast). If you have questions or feedback for the Reframe team, please email us: reframe@pilotlight.ai

2. 

   16 Jun 2026

   The Greenest Buildings Already Exist

   with Matt Aalfs Reframe host Jeff Nichols (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffersonnichols/) sits down with Matt Aalfs (https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-aalfs-644418b/), founding partner of BuildingWork (https://www.buildingwork.design/) and lead architect behind Seattle's remarkable Metropole Building (https://www.buildingwork.design/projects/metropole/) restoration. What begins as a discussion about a historic renovation quickly evolves into a broader conversation about climate action, urban revitalization, and why reusing existing buildings may be one of the most important sustainability strategies available today. At the center of the discussion is the Metropole, a 135-year-old building in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood that most people would have considered beyond saving. Damaged by earthquakes, fire, and years of neglect, the building was transformed into a LEED Platinum-certified community hub serving nonprofit organizations and communities of color. More importantly, it achieved an astonishing Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 18—less than half that of a typical new office building built to Seattle's already stringent energy code. One of Matt's most powerful observations challenges a deeply held assumption in sustainability circles that historic preservation and sustainable design are opposing forces. Many industry people still believe that achieving high performance required tearing down older buildings and replacing them entirely with new materials and more efficient construction. Matt argues the opposite. Historic buildings contain enormous amounts of embodied carbon, craftsmanship, and material resources. Demolishing them often creates a larger environmental burden than renovating them—culminating in the episode's most defining idea: the greenest building is the building that already exists. Matt explains that nearly half of U.S. carbon emissions are tied to buildings through both construction and operations. If society is serious about climate goals, the solution cannot come primarily from new construction.  Instead of building our way toward a cleaner future with new construction—the greatest opportunity lies in upgrading and transforming the millions of buildings that already exist. The conversation also explores how innovation often emerges from constraints. The Metropole team experimented with advanced technologies including passive chilled beams, triple-glazed windows, natural ventilation systems, solar generation, and a highly optimized building envelope. The result was not only an exceptionally efficient building but also a real-world demonstration project that others can learn from. Matt’s vision for the future of neighborhoods like Seattle’s Pioneer Square is not preservation for preservation's sake. Instead, he advocates for adaptive reuse—restoring older buildings while giving them new purpose, and modern performance standards. Historic districts should become thriving, walkable communities where people live, work, gather, and connect. He argues that older buildings contribute to the character that makes neighborhoods desirable. Reinvesting in them encourages walkability, reduces environmental impact, strengthens local identity, and helps create the kinds of places people genuinely want to spend time in. “No one person knows everything.” Matt is clear that the Metropole was brought back to life through the collaboration of a team of experts with shared values and a mutual commitment to sustainability, community, and historical preservation: Funding for the Metropole’s renovation was provided by the Satterberg Foundation (https://satterberg.org/) Sustainability Consulting was provided by O’Brien360 (https://obrien360.com/) Design was led by Matt’s team at BuildingWork (https://www.buildingwork.design/) Contracting was provided by 100-year-old construction firm, W.G. Clark (https://wgclark.com/) Engineering and performance modeling provided by Ecotope (https://www.ecotope.com/) Policy and design guidance support by the Pioneer Square Preservation District (https://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/historic-preservation/historic-districts/pioneer-square-preservation-district) This episode “reframes” sustainability itself. The future is not simply about building better new buildings. It's about recognizing the value of what we already have and finding ways to make them perform for the next century. In Matt's view, preserving historic buildings isn't just nostalgia—it's where climate strategy, community development, and urban regeneration intersect all at once. The Reframe podcast (https://www.pilotlight.ai/podcast) is hosted by Jeff Nichols (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffersonnichols/) and presented by Pilotlight (https://www.pilotlight.ai/podcast). If you have questions or feedback for the Reframe team, please email us: reframe@pilotlight.ai (mailto:reframe@pilotlight.ai)

3. 

   19 May 2026

   Stories Of Vision And Progress

   with Jeff Nichols and award nominees at the 2026 Vision Awards for Bellevue and Seattle 2030 Districts Sometimes the headlines make it feel like we're not making progress — but the reality on the ground tells a very different story. In this special episode of Reframe, show host Jeff Nichols (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffersonnichols/) looks beyond the negative news about stalled programs to bring you voices from the frontlines of real sustainability work happening right now in Seattle and Bellevue, Washington. Jeff attended the Bellevue and Seattle 2030 Districts (https://2030districts.org/seattle/) Vision Awards, a major annual celebration for the building, architecture, and energy community — and sat down with many of the builders, engineers, architects, and city leaders nominated in various Vision Award categories. From hospitals and universities slashing energy use to the LEED certified restoration of a 135-year-old vacant downtown building — the work being done is remarkable. Most people just haven't heard about it yet. This episode is a reminder of the thousands of people making an impact every day, often without the recognition they deserve. Guest Segments Include: Reducing energy use and emissions through efficiency, electrification, and high-performance operations with: Denise Montgomery (https://www.linkedin.com/in/denice-montgomery-b2815351/), Property Manager for Unico Properties (https://unicoprop.com/) Christian Taylor, Lead Engineer at Unico Properties (https://unicoprop.com/) Armando Berdeal, Energy Program Delivery Manager at Seattle City Light (https://www.linkedin.com/company/seattle-city-light/) Innovative approaches to conserving water and improving long-term resource stewardship with: Mark Johnson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-johnson-aia-leedap-bdc-91aa0641/), Principal Architect at Signal Architecture and Research (https://signalarch.com/) Todd Mayne (https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-mayne-38a144a/), Director of Operations and Construction at Webber Thompson (https://www.weberthompson.com/) Angie Rivera, (https://www.linkedin.com/in/angi-rivera-7694211b/) Director of Sustainability at Sellen Construction (https://www.sellen.com/) Discover more about the International Living Future Institute (https://globalabc.org/members/our-members/international-living-future-institute) (ILFI) Discover more about LEED (https://www.usgbc.org/leed) certification Transforming existing buildings to improve performance, reduce emissions, and extend asset life with: Mike Jobes (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-jobes-9a8879162/), Principal at The Miller Hull Partnership (https://millerhull.com/) Reducing the carbon impact of materials and construction through thoughtful design with: Matt Aalfs (https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-aalfs-644418b/), Founder and Principal Architect at Building Work Design (https://www.buildingwork.design/) Visionary leadership driving meaningful sustainability outcomes through strategy, policy, and collaboration with: Barbara Lee (https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-lee-pe-pmp-02bb2215/), Waterfront Program Director at the Seattle Department of Transportation (https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs) David Woodson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-woodson-292a31/), Executive Director of all thing's energy at the University of Washington (https://sustainability.uw.edu/sustainability-plan) Perry England, (https://www.linkedin.com/in/perry-england-609333/) Building Performance Vice President at MacDonald-Miller (https://macmiller.com/) The Reframe podcast (https://www.pilotlight.ai/podcast) is hosted by Jeff Nichols (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffersonnichols/) and presented by Pilotlight (https://www.pilotlight.ai/podcast). If you have questions or feedback for the Reframe team, please email us: reframe@pilotlight.ai

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 48 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

82

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.