Joe Giampietro is a principal at Nicholson Kovalchick (NK) Architects, a top architecture firm known for its award-winning design of the region’s highest performing urban homes and multi-family projects. With more than 30 years of experience in real estate development, land use planning and architecture, Joe is passionate about reducing the carbon footprint of buildings to positively impact the health, comfort and resiliency of our communities for many years to come.

At NK, Joe oversees all projects during the production of construction documents through the construction phase, guiding project managers to provide high-quality design services to clients. He is also NK’s resident Passive House expert, providing high performance design strategies to reduce energy use, increase durability and comfort, and lower maintenance costs.

Frequently selected to speak on the topic of Passive House methods and successes at conferences and events like the annual Passive House Northwest and the North American Passive House conferences, Joe is an accomplished expert on Passive House design and construction. His passion for designing high-performance, low-energy buildings led him to develop one of Seattle’s first Passive House projects, the Mini-B Passive House, as a demonstration.

Joe earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Catholic University of America and dual master’s degrees in architecture and landscape architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a Certified Passive House Consultant.

Joe is a founding member of Passive House Northwest and an active member of the Sunset Hill Community Association and the Seattle chapter of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild. Aside from his professional interests, he enjoys sailing small sailboats, playing basketball, and woodworking.

Design for the greater purpose of health, comfort and resilience for years to come.