What if your home could be healthier, more comfortable, more energy efficient... and actually work with nature instead of against it?
Join architect, designer, craftsman, and self-proclaimed granola maker Ben McDonald for a fascinating evening exploring the art and science of passive architecture—a thoughtful approach to designing buildings that are beautiful, functional, sustainable, and deeply connected to their environment.
Ben wants people to love buildings not simply for how they look...
…but for what they do.
Creating spaces that feel timeless and satisfying begins with understanding the materials themselves—wood, stone, concrete, glass—and learning to listen to what each one naturally wants to become. Through thoughtful design and countless intentional decisions, these materials come together to create homes that breathe, age gracefully, and support the people who live within them.
As Ben likes to say:
"Think of architecture as group therapy for bricks, land, and people."
During this engaging Speaker Series, Ben will explore:
🏡 What passive architecture is—and why it's becoming increasingly important
🌬️ How buildings naturally breathe, regulate temperature, and respond to their environment
🌿 Designing healthier homes that improve comfort while reducing energy consumption
🌞 Simple design decisions that can dramatically impact heating, cooling, and natural light
đź’° How thoughtful architecture can protect both your health and your wallet over the long term
🪵 Why understanding building materials leads to better design
⚒️ How buildings age—and why some thrive while others slowly fail
âť“Audience Q&A
Ben and his wife, Kristina, are the creative force behind Site Specific, the beloved pottery and design studio just down the street in Los Alamos. Their work celebrates craftsmanship, intentional design, and the relationship between people and place.
Today, they're immersed in perhaps their most site-specific project yet:
Building a home on a hill.
Drawing from both professional expertise and personal experience, Ben will share what it's like to design a home from the ground up while balancing beauty, practicality, sustainability, and the realities of everyday life.
Whether you're planning a remodel, dreaming of building your own home someday, fascinated by architecture, or simply curious why some buildings feel so much better than others, this promises to be an inspiring evening that will forever change the way you look at the spaces around you.
After this conversation, you may never look at a building the same way again.
RSVP to sonja@clementinecarterwines.com
