David Peabody, FAIA

LEED-AP, Certified Passive House Consultant

David led Peabody Architects, in Alexandria, Virginia, from 1992 until 2020, designing numerous homes and additions. In 2020, the firm name changed to Peabody|Fine Architects to reflect David’s new partnership with Matt Fine, who joined the firm in 2015. Witnessing and participating in the growth of sprawl in the suburban DC area through the ‘90’s led both to awareness that the way building is done today is not sustainable, and a conviction that architects cannot sit on the fence with regard to environmental issues.

Since committing the practice to sustainable design in 2000, he has become increasingly active in issues regarding architecture and the environment, and made these issues central to the way the firm approaches its work. One of the original certified U.S. Passive House architects, David adapted the international standard to the challenges of the mid-Atlantic climate, achieving a series of regional firsts: the first Passive house, the first modular production Passive house, and the first in the nation direct current ready zero energy Passive house. He brought the same rigor to retrofitting existing buildings, with the first ever Passive level retrofit of a National Register listed building. In 2021 he was named Fellow of the AIA for his work in sustainable design.

Today he continues to focus on developing affordable ways of retrofitting single and multi-family housing, realizing that existing buildings are the profession’s greatest challenges if we are to achieve achieve our climate goals.