Jenny Peysin of Jenny Peysin Architecture | Wilderness Drive in East Jewett | Finding Refuge in Vacation Homes

Whether it’s called a shore house, weekend home or cottage, the concept remains the same: escape from the city. The cultural phenomenon of staying at a non-primary residence during the summer is especially pervasive in New York City. In this episode, I look into the history of vacation homes in the tri-state area and how the current work-from-home culture impacts these communities. I also revisit a conversation with architect Jenny Peysin to discuss the Passive House movement and learn about her unique build in the Catskill region of upstate New York.

Wilderness Drive in East Jewett is located near Hunter Mountain on a 5-acre lot. It’s a single-story, modern bungalow featuring two wings with five bedrooms and three baths. Central to the tenets of Passive Houses, the build has more insulation, minimalized thermal bridging, and an airtight envelope, all of which ensure a comfortable temperature throughout. 

In our conversation, Jenny walks us through her initial vision for this build as a client project and how it turned into a personal vacation home instead.  We also dive into the history of Passive Houses, LEED vs. Passive House building criteria, and why they make great second homes for families. 

About the Guest:

Jenny Peysin is a licensed architect based in Brooklyn. She founded Jenny Peysin Architecture in 2016. She previously worked as a designer at Blaze Makoid Architecture. She became a Certified Passive House Designer right before the pandemic and has been shifting her focus toward this way of designing and building,

Topics Covered:

• The history of vacation homes in the greater New York City area 
• How the pandemic affected the economy and housing market in ‘vacation towns’  
• Examples of venture-backed companies transforming the vacation rental industry
• The inspiration behind Wilderness Drive
• The fundamentals of modern Passive House design
• Tips for incorporating Passive House standards into your home 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Adventures in the Wilderness by William H. H. Murray 
• Where Was the Birthplace of the American Vacation?
• Hudson Valley Towns Have a New York City Problem
• Pacaso
• Den Outdoors
• AvantStay       
• International Passive House Association 

About Your Host

Atif Qadir is the Founder of Commonplace, a company dedicated to tackling one of the biggest barriers to more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable development: improving access to capital. Commonplace helps impact-driven developers and capital providers with shared values discover and connect with each other.

Connect with Jenny Peysin

• Connect with Jenny on LinkedIn
• Follow Jenny Peysin Architecture on